Indice dei contenuti per 2023-04-25 in Cape Times

PURPLE Group’s share price plunged more than 9% after it reported a 152% decline in headline earnings to an 85 cents headline loss per share for the six months to February 28. The group’s expenses increased sharply as new projects took longer and proved more costly than expected to implement. On top of the headline loss, the online share-trading and investing group, said it would shortly announce plans to raise R150 million in new capital to fund growth over the next years. Purple’s share price closed 8.87% lower at R1.13 on the JSE yesterday, after the price had declined over the year from R2.70. The share, a favourite among many retail investors, drew mixed reactions. Junior Smith (@JuniorBuffet) commented on Twitter: “Purple group I still believe in the…

THE Gauteng High Court’s Pretoria and Johannesburg divisions will this week hold ceremonial sittings to commemorate the centenary of the Women Legal Practice Act, which opened the doors and paved the way for women to join the legal fraternity in the country. Yesterday the Office of the Chief Justice said prior to the Act of 1923, the courts had ruled that women were not included as “persons” who could be admitted to legal practice. However, the enactment of the Act turned this around as it served to open the door to women by decreeing that “women shall be entitled to be admitted to practice and to be enrolled as advocates, attorneys, notaries public or conveyancers in any province of the Union subject to the same terms and conditions which applied…

THE SOUTH African government is working on a plan to evacuate 77 South Africans, diplomats and citizens, from Sudan’s capital Khartoum as fierce fighting continues to rage, the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) said yesterday. A vicious power struggle between the country’s army and a strong paramilitary force has led to violence across Sudan for more than a week following a breakdown in negotiations on political and security sector reforms. Several countries, including South Africa, have closed their embassies in Khartoum. Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela said in a post on social media that the government had explored all options and settled on a plan, with the co-ordination of the evacuation of the 77 SA nationals under way. “The airport is damaged and closed and Khartoum is effectively a…

Grief-stricken family hopes for answers after 53 years of agony COMING one step closer to justice, the legal representative of anti-apartheid martyr Imam Abdullah Haron’s family poked holes in the testimony of retired-cop Johannes Burger, who was on duty when Haron's body was found in a cell at the Maitland police station in Cape Town 53 years ago. During the reopened inquest into Haron’s death in the Western Cape High Court yesterday, Advocate Howard Varney criticised the inquest held in 1970, where the magistrate at the time ruled that no one was to blame for Haron’s death, despite evidence in the post-mortem report of clear trauma to his body. Burger is the only living police member that could be traced by the family’s legal teams. Varney criticised Burger's testimony on…

COLLEGE of Cape Town second-year students have called for intervention, following what they labelled “neglect” by the tertiary institution. A student, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation, said a large intake of first-year students has resulted in lecturers being diverted to assist the new students, leaving the second years to “fend for themselves”. “I am a second-year student and have been struggling with school due to not receiving the necessary support. This is mainly in the transport and logistics department because our lecturers have been sent to assist others. “It’s heartbreaking for many of us as we come from poor families. “I left home with a promise to my parents that I would change the situation but as it currently stands, it seems like I won’t be…

DESCRIBED as a danger to society, the Beaufort West Regional Court sentenced Raymond Kelly to 34 years behind bars after he was convicted on two counts of murder, and the assault of his girlfriend. Known as “R Kelly”, Kelly was convicted for the murder of Brendon de Wee, who was stabbed 36 times during an argument at Strydersfontein Farm in July 2015. De Wee was also left with a skull fracture. In December that year, Kelly stabbed pensioner Griet Plaatjies nine times in her back as she ran for help in Prince Valley, Beaufort West. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said Kelly’s girlfriend, Regina Saayman, was assaulted with a sjambok and kicked in September 2017. “The court heard that the accused, his friend’s girlfriend, his friend Michael Jacobs,…

IN THE eyes of many, Joseph Stalin was just a killer and dictator. It is true that many people in the Soviet Union died at his ruthless hand. It began when he was on the path to power, using the subtle method used by evil authorities – he “eliminated” his opponents. The worst was turning comrades against each other, especially the “old guard”. One of the worst examples was his having a hand in the death of Leon Trotsky. Trotsky was close to Lenin, though they differed ideologically. But because he was a true comrade, a revolutionary, and a combatant, Lenin trusted him. He entrusted him with a crucial component, the army, when they were still in a revolution, a struggle to free Russia from the yoke of oppression. A…

Europe, China and Japan raced to extract their citizens from Sudan yesterday and thousands more people used a partial lull in fighting between the army and a paramilitary force over the past two days to escape the country’s deepening crisis. The sudden eruption of violence between the military and the well-armed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group on April 15 has killed at least 427 people, knocked out hospitals and other services and turned residential areas into war zones. Tens of thousands of people, including Sudanese and citizens from neighbouring countries, have fled in the past few days, including to Egypt, Chad and South Sudan, despite chronic instability there. “There is still a challenge in accessing food, there’s still a challenge accessing electricity and water and that is prompting people…

Safa are ready to pull the plug on their partnership with the SABC if things do not improve. After agreeing on four-year contract in 2019, Safa were expected to see the SABC plough a significant amount of money into the association, while ensuring that their matches - across junior and senior national teams - are televised on SABC 1, 2 and 3. But the South African national broadcaster has failed to live up to expectations on both ends, cutting the R110million yearly investment to a measly R25m, while some crucial Safa matches have only been broadcast on streaming services - such as OTT. Those irregularities have backed Safa into a corner in terms of the day-to-day operations - despite reporting that they have incurred a loss of only R2.9m in…

Plan to do it over the next four years in a bid to recover at least 7 000MW into the grid and end the load shedding ESKOM has proposed to embark on a R16 billion programme of installing smart-meters in every household in South Africa over the next four years in a bid to recover at least 7 000MW into the grid and end load shedding. If this demand management strategy is given the green light, it would represent a change of approach in Eskom’s cocktail to end rotational power cuts as load shedding is a tactic of limiting electricity supply based on generation capacity. Eskom first touted an approach to demand-side management in 2012 as it warned that 3 000MW of committed capacity from supply…

THE wife of Gerco van Deventer, who was abducted in 2017 while working as a paramedic in Libya, remains hopeful of his safe return. It has been more than five years since the South African paramedic was kidnapped while on duty in Awbari. Speaking to the Cape Times yesterday, Van Deventer’s wife, Shereen, said she had never lost hope of her husband’s safe return. “We met many many years ago and then we got married in 2015. He is the type of father and husband who is very attentive, loving, compassionate and present. He treated me like a queen and was always protective of us as his family. “It has been a very difficult few years without him, you know the typical school games, and assisting with homework. A lot…

POWER utility Eskom announced yesterday the launch of its national demand side management initiative, which is aimed at saving some 1 500 megawatts of energy for the grid. Speaking at the National Demand Side Management Indaba, acting group chief executive officer Calib Cassim said they were aiming to achieve a capacity from the initiative of just under 1 500 megawatts. “Eskom needs to focus on the supply in terms of our own plants, as well as getting the DMRE (Department of Mineral Resources and Energy) more capacity from an IPP (independent power producers) perspective, but while we are looking at supply, let’s not forget the importance of demand side management to close that gap in terms of that capacity shortfall,” Cassim said. “We are aiming to achieve a capacity from…

A SOUTH African medical team has successfully performed Africa’s first endoscopic lung volume reduction (ELVR) procedures using endobronchial valves. The procedures, which give hope of improved quality of life to certain patients living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), were performed at Netcare Kuils River Hospital in Cape Town by pulmonologists, Professor Coenie Koegelenberg and Dr Dante Plekker. A few days after becoming the first patient in Africa to undergo the ELVR, 66-year-old Charmaine Henning, who was diagnosed with severe COPD in 2019, said that she noticed a significant improvement in her condition. “I cannot believe it but the very next day, even that very same afternoon after the procedure, I could feel a difference. “I could not walk the few steps from my room to the en suite bathroom…

Lentegeur residents in Mitchells Plain are up in arms after a crash involving an overloaded taxi claimed the life of a child yesterday. According to reports, a Toyota Quantum and a BMW collided at the corner of Marguerite Street and AZ Berman Drive at 8.10am. Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said the Quantum, at the time of the incident, was transporting 24 passengers, all of whom were scholars from various schools. “One of the children, a boy aged between 8 and 10, was taken to a nearby hospital with serious injuries and later succumbed due to injuries sustained. The other children were treated on the scene or taken to nearby hospitals with minor injuries,” he said. Van Wyk said the cause of the crash was under investigation and no arrests…

Choose honest, capable independent candidates of calibre THERE is a certain irony that this year we celebrate “Freedom Day” – the name given by South Africans to mark the first democratic and non-racial elections on April 27, 1994 – uniquely challenged to consciously exercise our equal enjoyment of the freedom to make political choices that will shape the next 30 years and beyond. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s signing of the much-awaited Electoral Amendment Act into law on April 17 directly challenges us to be deliberate in our political choices to form a political party; to participate in political party activities, including recruiting members and to campaign for a political party or cause; to massively participate in free, fair and regular elections by voting in secret, by also standing for public office…

Most Britons want to keep the monarchy but King Charles III lacks support from young people, a new poll suggested yesterday, less than two weeks before his coronation. Fifty-eight percent of respondents backed retaining the monarchy, compared to 26% in favour of an elected head of state and 16% who “don’t know”, according to the YouGov survey. But the poll, commissioned by the BBC before Charles’s May 6 coronation, indicated that only about a third of young people support the monarchy while 38% would prefer an elected head of state. They showed broad indifference towards the institution, with more than three-quarters of 18-24 year-olds saying they were “not interested” in the royal family. Support for the royals was greatest among older people, with 67% backing among those aged 50-64, and…

Comment Kaizer Chiefs are getting their just desserts as they continue to play housie-housie with the iconic club by allowing the chairman's family to occupy strategic positions in the day-to-day running of the organisation. On Sunday, Chiefs suffered a 1-0 defeat to a very ordinary Sekhukhune United side. Without the usual penalty or opposition red card, Chiefs slumped to defeat after a four-match unbeaten streak in the Premiership. During this fruitful Premiership streak, Chiefs either won after a penalty proved decisive or they were advantaged by playing against 10-man opposition teams. This occurrence prompted coach Steve Barker to remark, "Chiefs must be practising against 10-man opposition", after his side suffered a red card and a penalty in a 2-1 defeat. Sunday's defeat prompted an outcry from the AmaKhosi faithful, and…

They are not in a good position on the Currie Cup log at the moment and that's why a desperate Western Province side will rock up for the North-South derby with the Blue Bulls on Saturday in Cape Town. Both teams sit just outside the top four in South Africa's premier domestic competition, with the Bulls (17 points) in fifth and WP (16 points) in sixth, looking to break back into the play-off spots. The winning team will most likely jump up the log, leapfrogging one of the Griquas (19 points) or the Sharks (19 points), who meet each other this weekend when the second round of the competition starts. "Both the teams will be desperate for a win," WP defence coach Norman Laker said "It will be important for…

THE search for answers aboout the death of 32-year-old Katlego Mpholo continues, after his family werer yesterday allegedly told they could not view his body yet as investigations were still ongoing. Mpholo’s partner and the mother of his youngest child, Thandiwe Boleme, said the news of Mpholo’s death came as a shock, as she never thought his body would be used as a decoy in convicted murder and rapist Thabo Bester’s prison escape. “The last I spoke to him he was supposed to look after the child for the night, but he said he had somewhere to be and that’s the last I heard or saw him. “I noticed after his birthday had passed without hearing a word from him, that something was wrong. The family did try to look…

CLAIMING that management had failed to respond to issues at residences, some University of the Western Cape (UWC) students yesterday attempted to undermine the university's much-anticipated unveiling of two projects, including the Unibell Residence in Belhar. The group held a demonstration outside the official launch ceremony of the Unibell Residence, where Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande was joined by Infrastructure MEC Tertuis Simmers, UWC’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Tyrone Pretorius and other dignitaries. The 2 700-bed Unibell accommodation is about five minutes from the main campus. Later on the same day, the new Faculty of Education building on the southern section of the UWC main campus in Bellville was also opened. In a video that was played at the ceremony students expressed different views from those demonstrating outside…

THE THREE-year extension of the School Infrastructure Backlogs Grant (SIBG) will provide much-needed funds to address classroom overcrowding. This is according to Equal Education and the Equal Education Law Centre, as they welcomed the National Treasury’s decision to maintain the SIBG for another three financial years. “The SIBG, which gives the Department of Basic Eduction funds to urgently address the worst school infrastructure problems through the Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (Asidi) programme, was meant to end last month, without having met its original targets. “The extension of this grant is a big victory because we have, in the past, raised concerns about National Treasury’s proposed merging of the SIBG into the Education Infrastructure Grant,” the civic organisations said in a joint statement yesterday. “The urgent need to address classroom…

IN WHAT was described as protest action against alleged negligence from authorities and the ward councillor, Gxagxa informal settlement residents in Gugulethu yesterday rejected humanitarian aid from Gift of the Givers, saying they wanted to be relocated to permanent structures. A relentless cold front and rain at the weekend wreaked havoc in some communities, including Gugulethu, Khayelitsha and Philippi. Gift of the Givers project manager, Ali Sablay, said they had been inundated with calls since Saturday. He said in Gugulethu, about 150 people were affected and they were able to assist families in 50 structures. According to Sablay, some homes were flooded due to blocked drain systems. Yesterday, Gift of the Givers arrived in Gugulethu to distribute bulk food, mattresses, blankets and stationery. They are also expecting to respond to…

In the aftermath of the brutal killing of 10 family members early on Friday in Pietermaritzburg, one South African jokingly remarked on social media that “if Lesotho wants parts of KZN, let’s give them Pietermaritzburg”. While this was said in jest, unfortunately it underlines the shock and horror that has greeted the latest mass shooting that took place in the capital city of KwaZulu-Natal. Apart from well-documented service delivery failures that have become synonymous with Pietermaritzburg, the city is quickly gaining a reputation for extreme violence, assassinations and mass shootings. Unless something drastic is done to improve policing in the city, criminality and violent crime will make the area the mass murder capital of the country. Apart from the latest killings spree in Unit 14 of Imbali township, in July…

Kenyan authorities have exhumed dozens of bodies, mostly children, from a forest in south-east Kenya in what appears to be a religious starvation cult, with Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki describing it as a “massacre”. At least 73 people have been confirmed dead, including 50 whose bodies were exhumed, while 28 people survived, said Charles Kamau, a criminal investigation officer from the Malindi area. He said most of the bodies retrieved from graves were children. Kamau said that at least four had died of starvation, though post-mortems still had to be done. The dead are believed to be worshippers of Paul Mackenzie’s Good News International Church. A total of 800 acres of the Shakahola forest have been sealed off and declared a crime scene, Kindiki said. The site is close…