Indice dei contenuti per 2024-10-11 in Cape Times

Recent Southern African Fraud Prevention Service statistics paint a concerning picture, reporting a 32% increase in fraud incidents and a staggering 54% rise in impersonation fraud victims compared to 2023. As October marks Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we urge the country’s investors to remain vigilant against the rising tide of digital fraud. The digital landscape has become a hunting ground for sophisticated scammers. They're not just after your personal information; they're targeting your hard-earned investments. Globally, we're seeing increasingly clever tactics, from fake investment platforms to impersonation of financial advisers on social media. Social media While social media platforms have become valuable resources for investment tips and financial news, they've also opened new avenues for fraudsters. Social media is well and truly integrated into our daily lives. However, investors need to…

THE ANC’s decision to ditch the DA as a political ally in Tshwane could have an impact on future alliances in other Metros or municipalities where there are discussions about forming governments of unity. This is according to DA provincial chairperson and KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC Francois Rodgers yesterday. The ANC in Tshwane supported a motion of no confidence that led to the DA’s mayor Cilliers Brink being ousted and replaced on Wednesday by the ActionSA’s Nasiphi Moya. Moya will be leading a multiparty coalition government that will include the ANC, EFF and other smaller parties. DA federal leader Helen Zille criticised the move and threatened to pull out of the Government of National Unity (GNU), sparking tension between her party and the ANC. Rodgers, speaking at a panel discussion hosted…

Officer details how a tip-off about wanted suspects led them to an upmarket city property ONE OF the four police officers allegedly involved in a Llandudno house robbery in which items to the value of R28 million were stolen has denied the theft, saying the officers were conducting routine police raid duties following a tip-off. Jacobus Groenewald, 44, alongside his three co-accused, Bradley Minnaar, 28, Mthuthuzeli Mafanya, 33 and Bathanwa Soldati, 38, were arrested on charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances and theft. Groenewald took the stand at the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court yesterday and testified in his formal bail application. He told the court he would plead not guilty. The State indicated they would charge the accused under Schedule 6 according to the Criminal Procedures Act (CPA). All of the…

The rIGHT to privacy where certain information is already in the public domain, against the right to freedom of expression, came under the spotlight in the Constitutional Court, when an insurance broker complained about his private information, including his home address, being published on social media. This legal issue has been determined by the high court, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), and ultimately landed in the apex court. It was sparked when an insurance broker, who is also a farmer, complained after a wildlife conservationist posted pictures on social media of a dead baboon and porcupine found in cages on the broker’s premises. Eastern Cape farmer and insurance broker Herman Botha was livid after conservationist Bool Smuts posted pictures of the dead animals on Facebook. Also included were Botha’s…

A suspect who was wanted in connection with the murder of a Ngqeleni police officer was killed in an alleged shoot-out in the Eastern Cape. Warrant Officer Khangelani Nomatiti was gunned down last week while he was on duty. Hawks provincial spokesperson Yolisa Mgolodela said the 59-year-old was at the local police station when he left the Community Service Centre (CSC) and proceeded to a shop on foot to purchase food. “En route to the shop, he was allegedly accosted by two suspects who attempted to rob him of his firearm. “A fight ensued and the warrant officer fought his attackers off. However, a third suspect reportedly appeared from behind him and shot Nomatiti at the back of his head. Nomatiti fell on the ground bleeding profusely. “The suspects then…

Guinness World Records 2025 Guinness World Records Ltd Loot.co.za (R325) The Guinness World Records is this years celebrating 70 editions. To mark its milestone birthday, the opening chapter of this informative volume offers a feast of retro features that look back over seven decades. The new edition – fully revised and updated with over 1 000 images – continues the annual tradition of delivering thousands of awe-inspiring facts, jaw-dropping feats and mind-blowing figures. As most fans and readers of this fact filled book know, it’s something that will appeal to the whole family, from the committed bookworm to the casual browser. And because it’s GWR's birthday, layout wizards have created a glitzy makeover, inspired by an exciting new cover design courtesy of 3D digital artist Chris Labrooy. From South Africa…

The Black Bird Oracle Deborah Harkness Loot.co.za (R289) Headline Being a fan of tarot and mystical storytelling, I found myself captivated by the latest installment of the All Souls series by Deborah Harkness. The Black Bird Oracle envelopes its reader in a world rich with magic, family dynamics, and the search for identity. At the heart of the story are Diana Bishop and Matthew de Clermont, whose relationship grows complex as they navigate the challenges of parenthood with their seven-year-old twins, Pip and Rebecca. Diana’s fierce protectiveness is rooted in the trauma she faced as a child, particularly the horrors inflicted by the congregation who sought to control her powers. This fear drives her to resist testing the magical abilities of the twins, and she is determined to safeguard them…

ORGANISATIONS worldwide are struggling with mental health challenges, with anxiety being described as the top mental health issue in the workplace today. South African organisations and higher education institutions are no exception to this. The theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day, which is celebrated every year on October 10, is workplace mental health and it highlights the importance of addressing mental health and well-being in the workplace. Deadlines, interpersonal relationships, management of staff, negative characteristics of the workplace, and dealing with work-related issues that arise are considered some of the primary factors leading to work-related mental ill-health. Furthermore, worldwide as well as South African transformations, including technological developments, shifts in the nature of work, demographic changes, financial instability and demands, and re-skilling and upskilling to adapt to new…

PhilippineS President Ferdinand Marcos challenged Chinese Premier Li Qiang over recent clashes in the South China Sea at regional summit talks yesterday as fears grow that conflict could erupt in the disputed waterway. Li met the leaders of the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) at their gathering in Laos after a day of discussions dominated by the Myanmar civil war. There has been a spate of violent clashes between Chinese and Philippine vessels in recent months in waters around disputed reefs and islands in the South China Sea. Marcos raised the issue in the meeting with Li, arguing that “you cannot separate economic co-operation from political security”, a South-East Asian diplomat who attended the meeting told reporters. The Li summit was largely focused on trade and came the…

Myanmar security forces have arrested a prominent democracy activist and protest leader in a night-time raid in commercial hub Yangon, a member of his protest group said. Paing Phyo Min was arrested late on Wednesday after authorities entered a residence in east Yangon’s Thaketa township, Nan Lin of the “Anti-junta Alliance Yangon” protest group said. Paing Phyo Min had not been heard from since. Amnesty International said it understood Paing Phyo Min and Shein Wai Aung, another activist, “were arrested on 9 October and sent to an interrogation centre.” Shein Wai Aung and his father, mother and sister were all uncontactable, Amnesty said. Junta authorities in Yangon were not immediately reachable when contacted by AFP. In 2019, under the quasi-civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi, Paing Phyo Min was…

STOCKHOLM: Swedish police said yesterday that they were investigating a shooting near an Israeli target in the city of Gothenburg, which the national broadcaster said was a unit of Israeli defence electronics firm Elbit Systems. There were no reports of injuries, police said. Elbit Systems Sweden declined to comment. A suspect was apprehended at the scene and a preliminary investigation into suspected attempted murder and serious weapons crime had been initiated, police added. The suspect was under 15 years of age. Police said investigators were not aware of threats against other Israeli targets in the region. | Reuters…

MUMBAI: Mourners gathered yesterday in India’s financial capital, Mumbai, for the funeral of industrialist Ratan Tata, who led one of the country’s biggest conglomerates. Tata, who died aged 86 on Wednesday, transformed the Tata Group into a sprawling international enterprise, with a portfolio ranging from software to sports cars. His coffin, draped in an Indian flag, was flanked by a guard of honour, with a marching band. Mumbai declared a day of mourning. “A titan of Indian industry”, The Hindu newspaper called him on its front page. Tata took over his family’s empire in 1991. His 21 years at its helm saw the salt-to-steel conglomerate expand its global footprint. | AFP…

WITH more than 700 firearms stolen and lost during the 2023-24 financial year, the SAPS was fighting crime against their own weapons, police top brass were told. The SAPS presented its annual report before the police portfolio committee this week that 89 more firearms were stolen or lost during the financial year. “During this period, a total of 741 firearms were confirmed stolen/lost,” the report read. Of the total number, 684 firearms were reported stolen and 57 lost. The most stolen or lost firearms were reported in Gauteng with 249, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 147, the Eastern Cape 110 and Mpumalanga 66. Mpumalanga recorded 66, Limpopo 50, Western Cape 46, North West 36, Free State 22 and Northern Cape 15. The report stated that given the nature of police work,…

A DIVORCING wife, who had just bought herself a sports car for R1.5-million, turned to the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg in a bid for her husband to increase the maintenance he is paying her pending the finalization of their divorce, as she said she simply cannot make ends meet. The wife said of R65 000 monthly would do for now, as well as an initial contribution of R1-million towards her lawyers. This is apart from him having to pay her creditors and other expenses. The parties were married in 1994, out of community of property in terms of an antenuptial contract which incorporated the accrual system and they have one adult child. They separated in 2022 and the divorce is still pending. The wife, 52, has been unemployed since March…

The Eastern Cape continues to report the highest femicide rates in the country, while Gauteng saw a significant increase in cases during 2020/21. The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Gender and Health Research Unit has released the results from their fourth national femicide study which revealed that South Africa continues to have some of the highest femicide rates in the world. A disturbing increase in intimate partner femicide and a decline in convictions was highlighted. The report covers the four surveys from 1999 to 2020/21 – the first year of Covid-19. According to the report, 60% of women murdered in 2020/21 were killed by an intimate partner, an increase from previous years. Despite an overall drop in femicide during the pandemic’s alcohol ban periods, intimate partner femicide increased. Convictions…

The Peepshow Kate Summerscale Bloomsbury Police discover the bodies of three young women hidden in a wall at 10 Rillington Place, a dingy terrace house in Notting Hill. On searching the building, they find another body beneath the floorboards, then an array of human bones in the garden. But they have already probed a double murder at 10 Rillington Place, three years ago, and the killer was hanged. Did they get the wrong man? A nationwide manhunt is launched for the tenant of the ground-floor flat, a softly spoken former policeman named Reg Christie. Reporter Harry Procter chases after the scoop and crime writer Fryn Tennyson Jesse begs to be assigned to the case. The story becomes an instant sensation, and with the relentless rise of the tabloid press the…

There was absolute joy on the faces of the Springbok Women’s rugby team last Saturday at Athlone Stadium when Siya Kolisi joined them before their match against Australia. It’s not every day that you get a double world champion in your changeroom, and the Bok men’s schedule is hectic at the best of times. Apart from national duty, they are also playing for their clubs around the world. But part of Kolisi’s decision to leave French side Racing 92 and return to the Sharks in Durban was to be back home among South Africans, and make a greater contribution to society. And that includes the Bok Women and helping them to grow and gain a greater share of the public’s attention. Kolisi gave great insight into the team selected against…

The owner of 7-Eleven announced a major restructuring yesterday as it seeks to boost its share price and fend off what would be the biggest foreign takeover of a Japanese firm. Seven & i Holdings rejected a $40 billion (R703bn) takeover bid last month from Alimentation Couche-Tard (ACT). The Canadian group has reportedly sweetened its offer since then. CEO Ryuichi Isaka did not disclose details of ACT’s latest proposal at a media conference yesterday, but called the restructuring an “important step towards global growth”. “Managing our business with capital efficiency in mind is a way to go beyond the value of the proposal and to be appreciated by our shareholders,” he said. 7-Eleven “konbini” are a ubiquitous lifeline for Japan’s ageing population and a one-stop shop for everything from rice…

BERLIN: The German government has downgraded the forecast for the country’s economic growth, projecting a decline by 0.2% , Economy Minister Robert Habeck said this week. The government had hoped for economic growth of plus 0.3%. This will be the second-consecutive year in which the economy declined, although the government expects a 1.1% growth of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) next year due to the new measures to support the economy. The minister cited demographic changes, Germany’s difficult competitive position and weak demand as factors negatively affecting GDP growth. | Sputnik…

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden’s decision to remain in the US – resulting in the postponement of a summit in Germany organised by Ukraine’s Nato allies – was not due to Hurricane Milton, said ex-defence analyst Karen KwiatkowskI. She expressed concerns that Biden may not fully grasp the situation in Ukraine and could inadvertently embarrass the US. Kwiatkowski said that the Biden administration must resolve new issues in Ukraine while mitigating previous policy failures. She said Nato allies understood that timely military support to save Ukraine may not arrive, and there was an urgent need for a post-war Ukraine plan. | Sputnik…

This year has proven to be as unpredictable as the last, especially for investors seeking to diversify their portfolios and hedge against inflation. The commodities market is emerging as a key area of interest for investors, with the likes of gold, oil, lithium, and hydrogen proving popular. To mark World Investor Week taking place from 7 to 13 October, here are some key market trends and insights for savvy investors. Unlike financial assets the value of commodities is largely determined by supply and demand dynamics. Commodities are playing an essential role in portfolios in 2024, particularly as a hedge against inflation and currency devaluation. This fundamental difference makes commodities a vital tool for diversification, especially during periods of market volatility. Top performing commodities 1. Gold: Gold continues to live…

30 ml vegetable oil 4 medium-large lamb shanks, trimmed of excess fat 1 large white onion, diced 2 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped 6 garlic cloves, finely grated salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 500 ml beef stock 375 ml red wine 4 large tomatoes, chopped 30 ml tomato paste 4 sprigs rosemary 4 sprigs thyme 5 bay leaves Preheat oven to 160°C. Heat oil in a large, wide pot over medium-high heat. Brown the shanks on all sides, then remove from pot and set aside. Add the onions and carrots to the pot and fry over medium heat until softened, then add garlic and cook for one minute. Return the shanks to the pot and season generously with salt and pepper. Add stock, wine, chopped tomatoes,…

THE case against a 31-year-old suspect nabbed in connection with the kidnapping and extortion of a Franschhoek family will resume in the Paarl Magistrate Court next week. Xolani Matshona is the second suspect arrested in connection with the incident. Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said Matshona was arrested by a multi-disciplinary task team consisting of the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation, Provincial Organised Crime, Hostage Negotiation Team (HNT) and Crime Intelligence on Tuesday. “The team reacted to information received about a security officer… who is linked to a kidnapping incident that occurred on August 22, 2024, where four individuals, a family were kidnapped and kept at the suspect’s home then three days. They were later were released and rescued at a nearby BP garage in Philippi East…

The country loses nearly 50% of its treated water supply before it reaches consumers WE KEEP stressing that South Africa is a water-stressed country and that we are reaching the limits to what the resource can offer in terms of demand and growth. Yet it is unfortunate and unacceptable that in these times nearly 50% of all treated water supply by our municipalities is lost before it reaches paying or needy customers as a result of failing infrastructure together with poor governance, vandalism and theft. The issue is that in some areas these losses reach levels of nearly 70%. The situation is so alarming and together with poor water use behaviour, puts our habitats and security at risk. On October 7, we marked World Habitat Day and as we enter…

US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has erased Republican rival Donald Trump’s advantage in the vast middle of American society: suburban residents and middle-income households, an analysis of Reuters/Ipsos polling shows. Since President Joe Biden ended his flagging re-election bid on July 21, Vice-President Harris has pulled into the lead in both the large demographic groups, reinvigorating Democrats’ prospects in the November 5 election, though the race remains close. Suburbanites, who make up about half the US electorate and are as racially diverse as the nation at large, are a key prize. Biden beat Trump in suburban counties by about six percentage points in the 2020 presidential election. Before he dropped out, Trump was leading him 43% to 40% among suburbanites in Reuters/Ipsos polls conducted in June and July. Harris…

The third African Business and Human Rights Forum opened on Wednesday in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, with delegates calling for embedding the principles of equity, fairness and inclusion in the continent’s private sector. The theme for the two-day forum, convened by a consortium of UN agencies and regional blocs, is “Promoting responsible business conduct in a rapidly changing world”. Over 500 participants, including policymakers, industry executives, diplomats, representatives of academia and civil society, are attending the forum that aims to foster dialogue and peer-to-peer learning on adopting business models that advance ethical and sustainable practices. Kenyan Attorney General Dorcas Oduor said African countries should enact policies and laws that advance rights-centred commercial activities to foster peace, harmony, inclusivity and sustainable growth on the continent. Oduor said that Kenya was…

MAPUTO: Vote counting was under way in Mozambique following a peaceful national election, expected to see the ruling Frelimo party extend its 49 years in power. Initial district results are anticipated soon, while official results will take around two weeks. The winner will face challenges including an Islamist insurgency disrupting gas projects and high debt levels. Frelimo candidate Daniel Chapo, 47, is favoured to win despite accusations of past election rigging. His main challenger, independent Venancio Mondlane, has energised the youth. President Filipe Nyusi is stepping down after serving two terms. | Reuters…

KAMPALA: Uganda celebrated 62 years of independence from British colonial rule on Wednesday, with President Yoweri Museveni calling for wealth creation. During the celebration in the eastern Ugandan district of Busia, Museveni emphasised value addition to agricultural products. “The problem with Africa and other colonies is their focus on producing only raw materials, which has been detrimental to the continent,” Museveni said, noting that Uganda had been adding value to its products to fetch more export revenue. Under government development programmes, about 67% of the population was involved in the money economy. | Xinhua…