Indice dei contenuti per 2022-11-21 in Cape Times

Bank seizes and liquidates R4bn estate portfolio to cover R520m repayment WHAT HAS BEEN described as a racial attack on a Cameroonian business tycoon has seen scores of people adding numbers to the high unemployment rate in South Africa. This after First National Bank (FNB) decided to seize and liquidate all properties of businessperson El Hadj Baba Ahmadou Danpullo in South Africa in 2020. FNB’s decision saw about 800 people lose their jobs. When reached FNB refused to respond to questions, saying the bank could not disclose the details of any specific bank accounts due to client confidentiality. “The bank offers clients a range of options for rehabilitating outstanding debt, based on the unique merits of each case. If a customer fails to meet their credit agreement obligations, despite our…

FORMER president Jacob Zuma descended on the Western Cape at the weekend as part of his campaign trail for election as ANC national chairperson at the national conference in Nasrec, in less than a month’s time. Speaking at an event organised by the ANC Youth League in Philippi on Saturday, Zuma said there was a lot that was going wrong within the ANC that needed to be fixed. Delegates to the national conference ought to be given a direction on the issues to take up there, he said. “We should stop saying you will see ahead,” he said. Zuma noted with concern that the ANC’s hegemony in the country and its position as the leader of society had been undermined because of failure to deliver services to the people. “It…

CHILD protection organisations have decried the murder of two Grabouw children, alleged to have been killed by their mother when she set alight a locked shack. The woman is expected in court this week on charges of murder following the deaths of her two children, aged three and five. Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa confirmed the woman was arrested after they were called to the Waterworks informal settlement on Friday morning. “On arrival, they discovered a shack that was locked and on fire. During the inspection of the scene, the charred bodies of two young boys aged three and five were discovered. “As part of the police investigation into the incident, Grabouw police took witness statements and the suspect, who is the mother of the children, was subsequently arrested,” said Potelwa.…

1 tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. ground ginger ½ tsp. cinnamon ½ tsp. ground coriander ½ tsp. cayenne pepper ½ tsp. ground black pepper 1 tbsp. olive oil 8 lamb cutlets ¾ cup couscous ¾ cup boiling water ½ cup fresh parsley; finely chopped 1 tbsp. walnuts; chopped 1 orange; segmented 2 tsp. finely grated orange rind 3 tbsp. dried apricots; chopped 2–3 large aubergines; sliced lengthways in 5 mm slices Olive oil, for coating aubergines Mix cumin, ginger, cinnamon, coriander, cayenne pepper and black pepper together to form a rub. Season both sides of lamb cutlets with the above spice mix. Pour olive oil into a pan on medium-high heat. Cook lamb, turning, for 6–8 minutes. or until cooked as desired. Meanwhile, place couscous in a bowl and add…

A SMALL, unassuming road-cutting is producing thousands of exquisitely preserved fossils in the Sutherland District of the Northern Cape. In research recently published in the Nature journal, experts from the Albany Museum in Makhanda, Rhodes University, Evolutionary Studies Institute at Wits University, UCT and the Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History in Germany, among others, explain how these tiny fossils of plants and insects, many of them only millimetres long, reveal a previously unknown ecosystem on the quiet shores of a pool 266 million years ago. The authors, in a statement by GENUS, a collective knowledge hub and an inclusive network for Palaeosciences in Africa at Wits University, said plants, insects and small things tend not to share the limelight with dinosaur and hominid discoveries, but the stories they tell…

A R2.7 million damages claim by a Grabouw woman who was shot and injured during a protest, has failed in the Western Cape High Court. Dibakiso Lehlehla, who was a first-year electrical engineering student making her way to college when she was injured, made the claim against the Minister of Police after she was shot in the eye with a rubber bullet during a 2011 protest. However, the court found that Lehlehla – who lost her right eye as a consequence of the injury – placed herself in the line of risk and injury. Lehlehla had submitted that the SAPS breached their duty of care by randomly firing bullets at the public including herself; endangered her life; disregarded her right to privacy and dignity; abused their powers and acted with…

It’s high time SA ripped off its myopic Bandaid and acted FROM the very turn of the century, it became clear that because we were in haste to open our gates for all to come into the country, as a gesture of reciprocity to the countries that hosted our exiled compatriots, we were going to reach a boiling point. After 28 years, things have done exactly that. We have repeatedly been advocating for co-operation between and among levels of government, as well as the private sector and civil society, in designing a common approach to the problem of rural-urban migration as well as migration from other countries. This has been accompanied by focused attention on building infrastructure in those locations where people come from, that would hold the people…

Iran’s opening World Cup match against England today is likely to be overshadowed by a deadly crackdown on women-led protests back home. The football-obsessed nation of 80 million people is normally united by football but is reeling after two months of nationwide protests since the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody on September 16. Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian of Kurdish origin, died three days after her arrest in Tehran over an alleged breach of the Islamic republic’s dress code for women, which includes the mandatory hijab headscarf. The crackdown since Amini’s death has left nearly 400 people dead, according to Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights. The state’s response has led to questions over whether the team represents Iran or the regime that has ruled with an iron fist…

Washington: Never before has a sitting US president faced 80 candles on a birthday cake – and the milestone that Joe Biden reached yesterday has undeniable ramifications as he ponders running again in 2024. The White House so far has not revealed any celebration plans, focusing instead on the wedding of Biden’s granddaughter Naomi on Saturday. Biden jokes about the big 8-0. “I can’t even say the age I am going to be,” he said on MSNBC. “I can’t even get it out of my mouth. And he brushes off questions about whether he should seek re-election that would put him in power until aged 86, responding with two words: “Watch me.” A year ago, after a medical check-up, doctors said Biden had only a few minor ailments and concluded…

Nairobi: Rwandan President Paul Kagame has joined calls for advancing M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to cease hostilities and withdraw from captured territory, Kenya’s former leader Uhuru Kenyatta said. Kenyatta, who left office in August, is mediating in the conflict in the volatile east of the DRC on behalf of the seven-nation East African Community regional bloc. The fighting has displaced thousands of people and revived regional tensions as the M23, drawn mostly from Congolese Tutsis, has seized swathes of territory across North Kivu. Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of backing the M23. |…

BUENOS AIRES: A man jumped into a river full of crocodiles to get tickets for 2010’s World Cup, a Uruguay player returned to the field just after suffering a heart attack and a Russian couple broke up after arguing over who was the better player, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. These are some of the unusual facts that Argentine writer Luciano Wernicke has compiled in the latest version of his book Incredible World Cup Stories, published in 20 languages, before the World Cup in Qatar yesterday. Wernicke looks at covering the world’s most important sporting event from “different perspectives”, he said. |…

It’s here! The Kings of football will be crowned in Qatar, but not before piercing shots, hypnotising dribbles, and heart-breaking misses are seen and felt by billions of fans around the globe at the most anticipated event of them all – the 2022 Fifa World Cup. This one matters because there is more at stake here than there has ever been before … It’s do or die between the two greatest footballers of our time. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo each have just one final chance to win the title that will solidify them in history as the greatest of all time! Belgium have it all but if they fail to convert, they stand to lose the glory and respect due to a golden generation of players. England is home…

Enner Valencia scored a brace to help Ecuador defeat Qatar in the opening game of the Fifa World Cup at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar yesterday. The group A game saw the hosts being dominated by the South Americans, with the match seeing the maiden instance where the opening goal of a World Cup was scored through a penalty kick. Ecuador’s captain Enner Valencia set the World Cup on fire with a goal within three minutes of the football extravaganza kicking off. The striker received the ball off a kick by Felix Torres and headed it into the net, sending the Ecuadorian fans into festivity. However, the celebration was short-lived as the referee ruled the goal as off-side. A VAR check confirmed that the goal was off-side.…

ANC presidential hopefuls Dr Zweli Mkhize, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and Lindiwe Sisulu have reportedly teamed up to challenge President Cyril Ramaphosa’s bid for a second term. Mkhize’s challenge for the ANC presidency would have received a major boost if ANC insiders within the party have their way – that Co-operative Governance Minister Dlamini Zuma and Tourism Minister Sisulu abandon their campaign to support him. Sisulu would then become his deputy. A source in the party said that was the plan of Mkhize’s slate in the run-up to the conference. “The slate is planning to find Dr Nkosazana (Dlamini Zuma) a position within the top six while Sisulu will deputise Mkhize. They have realised that they are stronger if they team up against Ramaphosa.” But Sisulu’s spokesperson Steve Motale dismissed…

ESKOM has warned that changes between the stages of load shedding will be more erratic due to the absence of the buffer normally provided by diesel generation capacity between generating unit breakdowns and South Africans will face stage 4 and 5 rolling blackouts this week. The embattled utility yesterday introduced stage 4 load shedding until 4pm today. Stage 5 load shedding will be implemented during the evenings from 4pm until midnight from today to Wednesday. Load shedding will vary between stage 4 and stage 2 during the day until Wednesday, Eskom said. “Changes in the stages of load shedding will be more erratic due to the absence of the buffer that is normally provided by the diesel generation capacity between generating unit breakdowns.” On Friday a generating unit each at…

IN A groundbreaking decision, 54 species of shark have been awarded increased protections by the 19th Conference of the Parties (CoP19) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) welcomed the decision by world governments taking part in CoP19 in Panama City, Panama, who voted overwhelmingly in favour of listing all 54 species of the requiem shark family on CITES Appendix II, as well as an additional six small hammerhead shark species, introducing new sustainability requirements for international trade to be permitted. “IFAW applauds governments for this groundbreaking decision to control the unsustainable global trade in shark fins and meat, a trade which has pushed some of these ecologically important predators to the brink of extinction,”…

THAT Fifa president Gianni Infantino in an unprecedented monologue resorted to accusing the West of “hypocrisy” in its reporting about host Qatar’s human rights record in a press conference on the eve of the Fifa World Cup simply reinforces the fact that Qatar 2022 is the most controversial one ever organised by football’s governing body. Never mind Fifa and its constituent members – never before has the beautiful game been subjected to such moral soul searching, hopefully jettisoning such naiveties that we shouldn’t mix politics and sports, in this case football, the world’s most popular game. The reality is that international sport, especially the richest game of them all – football – has long been hijacked by governments, administrators, corporate and commercial interests, elite clubs and the media, especially broadcast…

China’s top climate negotiator Xie Zhenhua said he expected to continue direct co-operation on climate change with his US counterpart John Kerry after the COP27 summit taking place in Egypt comes to a close. China and the US are the world’s two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, and co-operation between them is seen as vital to international efforts to avert the worst impacts of climate change. China’s President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden had agreed to restart co-operation on climate change earlier this week after a months-long hiatus due to tensions over Taiwan. Xie said he had met with Kerry at the COP27 summit as time allowed in the wider negotiations, according to a recording of a briefing Xie gave to journalists, reviewed by Reuters. He added that…

Kuala Lumpur: Voting closed in Malaysia on Saturday with jailed ex-leader Najib Razak’s scandal-hit ruling party seeking to cement its power in a tight race with Anwar Ibrahim’s coalition. The popular opposition leader campaigned on a promise to fight corruption in Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy where people are struggling with soaring food prices. There were long lines at polling centres despite concerns about monsoon rains, and voters said they hoped for political stability and economic improvement. Social media posts showed people lining up in knee-deep waters outside a voting centre in Sarawak state on Borneo island. |…

THE SABC has approached the National Treasury to designate its group CEO, Madodahan Mxakwe, as the accounting authority in the absence of a board of directors. This was revealed by Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni when she responded to parliamentary questions. EFF MP Vuyani Pambo wrote to Ntshavheni enquiring about the impact of delays in appointing a new SABC board on the management and functioning of the public broadcaster. Pambo wanted to know what measures had been put in place to ensure that the SABC continued to fulfil its mandate despite the delays in the appointment of the board. The delays are due to the outstanding vetting of the candidates that were interviewed by the portfolio committee in September by the State Security Agency, which falls under the…

Two by-elections will see political parties face off on Wednesday in ward 17 in the Cape Winelands region, Drakenstein municipality and ward 38 in the Cape Metro. Both vacancies are due to the resignation of ward councillors. The ward 17 by-election will be contested by candidates from the ANC, DA, EFF, Freedom Front +, the Africa Restoration Alliance (ARA) and an independent candidate. In ward 38, the ANC, ARA, DA, EFF, GOOD, PAC, the United Democratic Movement and an independent candidate are up against each other. The Independent Electoral Commission said there are 15 656 registered voters in ward 38 eligible to participate in the by-election and 4 278 registered voters in ward 17. ANC head of elections for the Western Cape, Cameron Dugmore said in all the by-elections since…

IT WILL be all hands on deck with law enforcement deployed on major routes across the province and hotspots within the city as the taxi industry forges ahead with its shutdown, starting today. Taxis transporting thousands of commuters in the province are expected to be parked at various public transport interchanges while other taxi ranks will be empty after the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) announced a strike. Commuters, including National Senior Certificate (NSC) candidates who may struggle to reach their designated exam centres, have been urged to make alternative arrangements. At the heart of the issue is the Blue Dot programme, which rewards improved driver behaviour and service, which is expected to end this month. Taxi drivers are also protesting against the impounding of their vehicles. “The strike is…

THE COP27 climate summit has made a welcome step towards a loss and damage fund, but by failure to agree to more ambitious action on emission reductions - the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C - is slipping away, with disastrous consequences for the world, according to the WWF. WWF Global Climate and Energy Lead and COP20 President Manuel Pulgar-Vidal said the loss and damage deal risks becoming a “fund for the end of the world” if countries don’t move faster to slash emissions and limit warming to below 1.5°C. “By failing to agree to phase-out fossil fuels at COP27, leaders have missed the chance to accelerate the elimination of fossil fuels, keeping us on course to climate catastrophe. Without rapid and deep emissions cuts we cannot limit…

MPUMALANGA police have arrested three men suspected to have been involved in the murder of 67-year-old German tourist Jörg Schnarr outside the Kruger National Park a month ago. Schnarr was fatally wounded during a botched hijacking along the R538 Numbi Road to the iconic Kruger National Park via the Hazyview area. Four armed men attacked a group of four German tourists, including the deceased and his wife, on October 3. The suspects managed to evade the police until the arrest of Napoleon Joseph Nyalungu, 35, in Mpumalanga’s capital city, Mbombela a few weeks ago. Nyalungu has since appeared in the Kabokweni Magistrate’s Court on charges of murder, attempted murder and attempted hijacking. Three other suspects, aged between 25 and 38, were arrested before the weekend following an intelligence operation in…

MILNERTON residents who sought answers over Lagoon water quality and the sulphur smell in the area claim the Potsdam sewage works is largely to blame. According to RethinkTheStink and Milnerton Central Residents Association, city officials alleged there were no known spills in the area after weeks of complaining of worsening conditions and urgent requests that a pollution inspection team be sent out. The organisations employed an accredited independent testing company, Makoya Amanzi to test the water testing done on November 4, and results came out last week. “The water testing showed treated effluent containing 750 000 E Coli cfu/100ml (licence requirement is They claim the amount of discharge into the Diep River was enough to fill 18 Olympic size swimming pools. The city has been blamed for failing to take…

The world’s French-speaking countries gathered in Tunisia at the weekend for talks focused on economic co- operation, more than a year after President Kais Saied began an internationally criticised power grab. While the two-day meeting and an associated economic forum officially focused on technology and development, it is also an opportunity for Western and African leaders to discuss issues like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. French president Emmanuel Macron said the International Organisation of Francophonie (OIF) should be “a space of resistance and reconquest” and called for it to reclaim its role. The bloc has been criticised for failing to use its clout to resolve crises. Around 30 heads of state and government, including Senegalese president Macky Sall and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, are at the summit on the southern…

Last year, Twitter sprinted to remove a deluge of racist tweets targeting three black players being blamed for England’s loss in soccer’s Euro 2020 championship, prompting world leaders and activists to blame social media for amplifying bigotry. Now, hate-speech advocates are warning that the spread of racism on Twitter could be even worse during the World Cup as the social media giant grapples with a mass exodus of employees and the tumultuous leadership style of new owner Elon Musk. Even before Musk laid off half of Twitter’s staff, his acquisition of Twitter had opened the door to a flood of racist and anti-Semitic trolls seeking to test Twitter’s content moderation practices under a new owner who for months had pledged to support free speech. Twitter has fewer staffers to address…

Sofia: Bulgaria has charged five people with helping one of the suspects in last weekend’s bombing in Istanbul which killed six people and injured 81 others, prosecutors said on Saturday. Turkey on Friday jailed 17 people over last Sunday’s blast, which Ankara has blamed on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) it designates as a “terror group”. The victims include two girls aged nine and 15. “Five people have been charged” over their “logistical” help to one of the suspects to flee, Siyka Mileva, a spokesperson for the Sofia prosecutor’s office, said. The PKK has denied involvement in the blast. |…

Manama: Finland’s application to join Nato was the “natural step” to take following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Nordic country’s foreign minister told the Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain on Saturday. Finland and Sweden dropped decades of military non-alignment and scrambled to become Nato members in May after Russia’s war. All 30 Nato member states except Hungary and Turkey have ratified Finland’s accession, which requires unanimous approval. Hungary has said it will support Finland’s bid. The decision to apply for Nato membership is “a result of the drastic change in our security environment”, Finnish diplomat Pekka Haavisto said. |…

The current African champions Senegal will open their World Cup campaign with a daunting challenge against the Netherlands at the Al Thumama Stadium today at 6pm. The biggest stars on the planet have descended on Qatar but some have been relegated to mere supporters of their nations, one of them being inspirational Senegal captain Sadio Mane. The Bayern Munich forward will play no part in the global showpiece after rupturing his right fibula while turning out for his club in the Bundesliga. This means coach Aliou Cisse will have to turn his head to other faces in the changeroom as the Lions of Teranga look to upset the odds against a powerful Dutch team. The 30-year-old Mane’s influence on this Senegalese side can not be understated as he almost single…

Two-time world champion Max Verstappen claimed a record-extending 15th win this year with a “sublime” performance for Red Bull in yesterday’s tight and strategic Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as Sebastian Vettel headed into retirement with a point. The 25-year-old Verstappen dominated from start to finish, but he was unable to assist his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez in his bid to beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and take second place behind him in the drivers’ title championship. Leclerc, driving with great precision and awareness, made his one-stop strategy succeed by resisting Perez, on fresher tyres after two stops, in the closing laps to confirm Ferrari finished second in the constructors’ contest as he did in the drivers’. Carlos Sainz came home fourth in the second Ferrari ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell,…