Cape Timesの 2022-07-27 の目次

GAUTENG public hospitals recorded 1 954 deaths last year due to negligence by staff members – commonly known as Severe Adverse Events. These are defined as unintended harm to the patient by an act of commission or omission rather than by the underlying disease or condition of the patient. The highest number of deaths happened at Kalafong Hospital in Pretoria, where more than 1 000 patients died due to negligence. This was revealed by Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi in her written reply to questions asked by the DA provincial health spokesperson Jack Bloom in the legislature. Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital recorded 854 deaths, Pretoria’s George Mukhari Hospital 453, Steve Biko Hospital, also in the capital city, 330 deaths, while the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital recorded 212 deaths. Of the tertiary…

Vigilance is needed in the face of apparent deceptive practices of major financial institutions The judiciary has once more stood on the side of the people by handing down a decision that could trigger another watershed class action. This development is encouraging in a winter overshadowed by heightened anxieties and the consistent violation of our human rights due to dysfunctional municipal governments, rising levels of poverty and unemployment, the energy and cost of living crisis, as well as political chaos. The National Credit Regulator (NCR) shocked many consumers with its attempts to suppress the disclosure of a critical piece of evidence showing how banks were repossessing homes and then selling them at auction – sometimes for less than 10% of their market value. That attempt was defeated last week after…

Monkeypox infections may not be limited largely to men who have sex with men, as seen currently, but may spread beyond the community, a World Health Organization (WHO) official has warned. Men who have sex with men are currently deemed at highest risk of infection. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine last week, which looked at infections across 16 countries between April and June, found 98% of cases were in gay or bisexual men. According to Dr Catherine Smallwood, senior emergency officer at the WHO, there is little evidence to suggest that the disease will remain confined to gay and bisexual communities. More severe cases could become apparent if the virus spreads to more immunologically vulnerable groups like young children, pregnant women and the immunocompromised, Smallwood was…

Liz Truss, the incumbent caretaker Foreign Secretary in deposed UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government, beat her rival, Rishi Sunak, the Indian- origin former Chancellor, according to a survey of ruling Conservative party members, the electoral college to choose the winner. Forty-seven percent of respondents felt Truss performed better versus 38% who thought likewise about Sunak. However, Sunak marginally defeated Truss. Thirty-nine percent said Sunak won, while 38% stated Truss did. The debate held at Stoke-on-Trent, a town in the west midlands of England, was hot-tempered and combative and Sunak often talked over his opponent. Sunak was trailing 62% to 38% in YouGov’s poll of Conservative members, who will begin voting next week and will have up to September 2 to do so. The two contenders clashed on tax cuts…

Maseru: Lesotho yesterday dropped murder charges against the country’s former prime minister Thomas Thabane and his wife over the 2017 killing of his previous estranged wife, Lipolelo. Prosecutors told a court in Maseru that they could no longer locate a key witness in the case. Thabane, 83, was accused of hiring hitmen – for $24 000 – to kill Lipolelo in June 2017. The pair had been embroiled in bitter divorce proceedings. Thabane and his current wife, Maesaiah – whom he married two months after Lipolelo was killed – have denied any involvement in the murder. Thabane quit as prime minister in 2020, owing to pressure to step down over the case. | AFP…

MOSCOW: Russia yesterday announced it will withdraw from the International Space Station (ISS) project after 2024, signalling an end of an era in one of the last remaining areas of co-operation between Russia and the US. Russia’s newly appointed head of space agency Roscosmos said that the company will instead focus on building its own orbital station. “We will fulfil all our obligations to our partners, but the decision to leave this station after 2024 has been made,” said Yury Borisov. Russian officials have discussed leaving the project since at least 2021, citing ageing equipment and growing safety risks. | Washington Post…

THE Tyre Importers Association of South Africa (Tiasa) says the cost of tyres could increase by up to 41% if the four large domestic tyre producers – collectively known as the South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference (SATMC) – are successful in their application to impose additional duties. Tiasa yesterday said it was opposing SATMC’s application to the International Trade Administration Commission to impose additional duties of between 8 and 69% on passenger, taxi, bus and truck vehicle tyres imported from China. The association said imposition of duties was expected to have a material impact on the price of tyres, not only for passenger vehicles, but for trucks, taxis and buses. According to Tiasa chairperson, Charl de Villiers, SATMC’s collectively also import 80% of the variety of tyres they sell. “The…

WESTERN CAPE High Court Judge President (JP) John Hlophe may be part of a rumoured “hit list” of those opposed to a second term for President Cyril Ramaphosa and Judge Hlophe’s potential impeachment is a “last desperate strategy”, according to a legal expert. This comes after the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) announced on Monday night that it would advise the president to suspend Judge Hlophe following deliberation on recommendations made to it. Meanwhile, the judge’s legal team has slammed the processes by the JSC calling it “unlawful, irrational and blatant interference with judicial processes”. Law expert Dr Paul Ngobeni said the JSC’s decision has little to do with legal principles and everything to do with “political manipulation and disrespect of our judiciary”. This while Judge Hlophe has a…

BUSINESSES and civil organisations have welcomed the new measures introduced to deal with the country’s energy crisis, saying the government should have been so much further down the road with many of these interventions already. President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday night laid out new measures, which include procuring power from private players such as mines, paper mills and shopping malls, as well as from neighbouring countries in the SADC region to stabilise South Africa’s power supply. Over the next 12 months, Eskom would increase its budget towards extensive maintenance of these power stations, Ramaphosa announced, adding that the red tape around procurement of maintenance spares and parts would be relaxed. “One of the challenges that Eskom has faced has been the shortage of skilled personnel and engineers. The utility is…

four Lesotho nationals have been extradited to face charges of murder and attempted murder in Bonnievale in the Western Cape. SAPS spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said a woman who sustained serious injuries, and the body of a 55-year-old man were found next to a pump house in 2019. The man had been shot in the head. The suspects fled the scene with two firearms and an undisclosed amount of cash. A 29-year-old man was arrested and detained in May 2019. “The investigation team went the extra mile and pursued information which resulted in indications that three persons of interest fled the area the same night of the attack in a bid to evade arrest. “An application for a warrant of arrest was approved for the imminent arrest of the three persons…

THE National Bureau of Statistics of China recently released the preliminary accounting results of the second quarter (Q2) and the first half year (H1) of 2022: China’s gross domestic product (GDP) for H1 2022 was RMB 562 642 billion, up by 2.5% year-on-year (YOY) at constant prices; of this, GDP in Q2 was RMB292,464.4 billion, an increase by 0.4% YOY. In H1 2022, the total retail sales of consumer goods went down by 0.7%, while the investment in fixed assets (excluding rural households) grew by 6.1% YOY; the total value of import and export of goods increased by 9.4% YOY, with export up by 13.2% and import up by 4.8%. These key statistics suggest that the economy has seen fluctuations to some extent in H1 2022. The pace of…

At least five people have been killed and dozens injured during anti-UN protests in eastern DR Congo, a government spokesman said yesterday. On Monday hundreds of people blocked roads and chanted hostile slogans before storming the UN peacekeeping mission’s headquarters and a supply base in Goma, the main city in North Kivu province. Protesters smashed windows and looted valuables, while helicopters airlifted UN staff from the premises and security forces fired teargas in a bid to push them back. In a post on Twitter, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said”at least five people (were) dead and about 50 wounded” in the unrest. The security forces had fired “warning shots” at protesters to stop attacks on UN personnel, he said. The unrest continued yesterday, with the fatal shooting of a man near…

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex donated $5 000 to a GoFundMe fundraiser set up for Kelly McKee Zafjen and her family, following the tragic death of her son, George, 9. The Alliance of Moms co-founder’s little boy, who was a twin, died suddenly last week, and the royal couple sent funds to help pay for the funeral of the youngster. Harry and Meghan are known for their generous donations. In 2020, the pair personally donated $130 000 (around R2.2 million) to the African girl’s education charity Camfed. And in place of wedding gifts, the couple asked their guests to donate money to seven charities close to their hearts in 2018. | Bang Showbiz…

RAMALLAH: Israeli troops yesterday demolished the houses of two Palestinians accused of killing an Israeli security guard in an attack outside the West Bank settlement of Ariel in April, authorities said. Hundreds of protesters threw rocks, burning tyres and Molotov cocktails at the soldiers as they carried out the operation in the West Bank town of Qarawet Bani Hassan, the army said in a statement. The town’s mayor, Ibrahim Assi, denounced the operation and pledged support for the relatives of the two alleged gunmen. “Home demolition is a policy of collective punishment that violates all international law,” Assi said. | Reuters…

LONDON: The sale of Central African Republic’s first digital coin got off to a slow start, with just over 5% of the target bought in the hours after its launch, amid questions about the project’s transparency and a wider downturn in the industry. The CAR, one of the world’s poorest countries, became the first African state to make bitcoin legal tender in April, baffling many cryptocurrency experts and prompting the International Monetary Fund to warn it was not a “panacea” for Africa’s challenges. The government has said its digital coin project will leapfrog the wartorn, mineral-rich country into a better future. | Reuters…

THE City says it will be conducting an assessment of the noise emanating from the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses church in Observatory, following complaints from residents. Residents had written to the City about the church in Eden Road, saying the issue arose in February and had escalated, and church leaders seemed to ignore their complaints about the noise levels. Observatory resident Ashlene van Reenen said they have had little joy when speaking to church members about the issue. “My sister works shifts and her room faces the church, even with her windows closed she can hear them talking loudly and last week and Sunday, a lady was banging loudly at the church gate because it was locked. “Our neighbour right next to the church spoke with them regarding the…

from page 1 developer and the other guys of the collective lied to us about work. “I had requested a copy of the trust documents for months. When I eventually got to see it. I saw the San were not mentioned. To start a trust there should have been meetings. We were not invited. In the beginning, the developer and I sat around a table and had discussions. However when I went there earlier this year, I was stopped at the gate and told I needed to make an appointment with Zenzile (Khoisan, of the FNC).” Khoisan said: “One of the companies he put forward was appointed and had a sizable subcontract at River Club. He is not an exclusive part of the thing – all other houses, when…

30ml oil 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 60g butter 30ml cake flour 500g button mushrooms, sliced 80ml white wine 1.25 litres chicken stock 1 potato, cut into cubes 3 sprigs thyme 375ml milk 125ml cream 150g ground, fine biltong Salt and milled black pepper Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the onion for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, butter and flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Increase the heat and add the white wine. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, potatoes and thyme. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the milk, cream and biltong and season to taste. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.…

THE entire process of relocating Siya-hlala informal settlement residents who encroached on Prasa railway lines to a 27 hectare piece of land just outside Philippi will cost more than R15 million. According to Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula, the government was reaping the fruits of the former Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) management that had “dropped the ball” and failed to act when the first few shacks were erected. About a thousand people erected shacks in the Langa railway line in 2019 after the Central Line corridor was temporarily closed due to extensive vandalism and theft. Last year the Western Cape High Court granted Prasa an order to relocate the families to suitable land, saying that residents should have houses and basic services. The Housing Development Agency (HDA) is…

Russia said it will cut gas supplies to Europe from today in a blow to countries that have backed Ukraine, while missile attacks in Black Sea coastal regions raised doubts about whether Russia will stick to a deal to let Ukraine export grain. The first ships from Ukraine may set sail in days under a deal agreed last week, the UN said, despite a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian port of Odesa over the weekend, and a spokesman for the military administration saying another missile had hit the Odesa region yesterday. Soaring energy costs and the threat of hunger faced by millions in poorer nations show how the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II, now in its sixth month, is having an impact far beyond Ukraine.…

French President Emmanuel Macron has described the global food crisis as one of Russia’s “weapons of war” during a visit to Cameroon yesterday, dismissing suggestions Western sanctions were to blame. Cameroon, like many developing countries, is grappling with sharp increases in prices for oil, fertiliser and foodstuffs. Severe fuel shortages hit the capital Yaounde last week leading to long queues at petrol stations. Macron is on a three-leg tour of Africa, a trip meant to strengthen political ties with the continent and help boost agricultural production amid the growing food insecurity linked to the war in Ukraine. African governments have refused to join Western condemnation and sanctions. At the same time, anti-French sentiment is rising in France’s former West African colonies, where security concerns following a string of coups are…

LOS ANGELES: Meta is breaking up with its app for couples, Tuned. Mark Zuckerberg’s company. which owns and operates popular social media services such as Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp. is shutting down the service that was billed in April 2020 as a “private space where you and your significant other can just be yourselves”. The app was a move for the company to try out a new ideas therefore it is believed the project was never believed to be a long-running venture. Recently, the tech giant has been experiencing a halt to recruitment, taking on 6 000 new hires as opposed to 1 000, and attempting to cut costs following what Zuckerberg labelled a potentially “one of the worst downturns” ever seen in “recent history”. He reportedly told staff:…

LONDON: Shoppers at a supermarket chain in southern England are being tracked by facial recognition cameras, prompting a legal complaint by a privacy rights group. Big Brother Watch said Southern Co-operative’s use of biometric scans in 35 stores across Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Bristol, Brighton and Hove, Chichester, Southampton, and London was “Orwellian in the extreme”, and urged Britain’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to investigate whether it breaches data protection legislation. The complaint outlines how the facial recognition system enables Southern Co-operative to create a “blacklist” of customers, and alerts staff when one enters a store. | Reuters…