Cape Timesの 2023-08-02 の目次

For many new mothers, the decision to breast-feed their babies comes with a strong sense of closeness and bonding. Breast milk is widely recognised as the best source of nutrition for infants, providing all the essential nutrients they need in the first six months of life. However, for working mothers, the challenge of balancing breast-feeding with their busy work schedules often leads to giving up on breast-feeding altogether. World Breast-feeding Week is celebrated every year from August 1 to 7. This year’s theme, “Enabling Breast-feeding”, aims to make a difference for working parents, highlighting that workplace challenges are the most common reasons for never breast-feeding or stopping before the recommended first six months of life. Breast-feeding plays a vital role in both infant and maternal health, offering numerous benefits…

South African women’s sport will take centre stage today when Banyana Banyana and the Proteas netball team face crunch clashes in their respective World Cup encounters. Banyana is in the Land of the Long White Cloud where they face Italy in their final Fifa World Cup Group G clash in Wellington, New Zealand (kick-off 9am), requiring a victory to have any chance of qualifying for the second round. The Proteas, meanwhile, go head-to-head with defending champions New Zealand in a crunch Stage 2 Netball World Cup clash at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (6pm). A defeat to the Silver Ferns will virtually rule out any chance the Proteas have of qualifying for the semi-finals. Coach Desiree Ellis’ Banyana opened their Fifa World Cup campaign with a spirited performance against…

Dough 560g Snowflake cake flour 5ml salt 50ml sugar 10g (1 sachet) instant dry yeast 125ml lukewarm milk 80g butter or margarine, melted 2 extra-large eggs Filling 30g butter or margarine, melted 125ml light brown sugar 30ml ground cinnamon 125ml seedless raisins (optional) Icing 60g butter or margarine, softened 375ml icing sugar, sifted 60g cream cheese or smooth cottage cheese 3ml vanilla essence Sift flour and salt together. Add sugar, mix and add yeast. Whisk eggs, lukewarm milk and melted butter together. Add to dry ingredients and mix to a firm dough. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 Place in a big bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in size. Knock down dough…

THE Constitutional Court has dismissed an application for leave to appeal in a high-profile fraud case, making it possible for the Stellenbosch University Law Clinic to launch a class action trial - the first of its kind to be brought by a South African university law clinic. The Law Clinic will be going toe-to-toe against local loan-application operation, Lifestyle Direct Group International. In 2021, the Western Cape High Court granted the Clinic’s bid in which it and eight clients sought permission to institute a class action on behalf of thousands of allegedly defrauded consumers from around the country. The case relates to the alleged defrauding of consumers by the Lifestyle Direct Group International from 2015 to 2019. The Law Clinic applied for the certification of a class action against the…

All eight members of Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s VIP protection detail were released on R10 000 bail each in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court yesterday. In delivering judgment in the eight’s bail application, Magistrate Hleziphi Mkhasibe remarked that the State had not managed to prove that it was the eight police officers who sent a threatening message to one of the witnesses – the person who recorded the video. “The applicants are ordered not to contact the State’s witnesses in any manner whatsoever, or use other people to contact them,” Mkhasibe warned the police officers. She said the eight had strong family and economic ties in South Africa, and they had surrendered their passports to the authorities. The magistrate also remarked that the accused police officers did not know the complainants…

High time Gauteng government acted accordingly in addressing disasters IN the past month, Gauteng has been the site of three explosions of sorts. The Johannesburg CBD explosion was essentially a prelude of a frantic 24 hours, where two other locations were beset with their own explosions. The biggest concern is not only the causes of these occurrences, but the contingency plans in the event of such disaster. Therefore, I argue that there is a need for clear and concise safety regulations regarding environmental and ecological damage. Firstly, it is important to emphasise that the Gauteng province comprises of the mining industry as the foundation of the economy. As such, most parts of the province are in close proximity to various industries, such as factories. Evidently, there is always a possibility…

France and Italy prepared yesterday to fly out their citizens and other Europeans from Niger, six days after a coup toppled one of the last pro-Western leaders in the jihadist-plagued Sahel and stoked anti-French demonstrations. In the region’s third military takeover in as many years, President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown by his own guard, triggering alarm bells in France, Niger’s former colonial power and traditional ally. After hostile crowds gathered on Sunday outside the French embassy and Niger accused France of plotting to intervene militarily, Paris said yesterday it would withdraw citizens and offered to evacuate other Europeans as well. The initiative marks the first time that France has staged a large-scale evacuation in its former colonies in the Sahel, where there have been coups in Mali and Burkina Faso…

At least four people have been killed in violence between Hindus and Muslims near the Indian capital New Delhi, police said yesterday. Mobs hurled stones at a Hindu religious procession and set cars alight on Monday in the predominantly Muslim district of Nuh, about 75km south of the capital. The authorities sent hundreds of riot police to the area and cut mobile internet service in parts of Haryana state to curb the violence. A fourth person died in Gurugram, when a mob attacked a mosque in apparent retaliation. Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar urged citizens of the state to keep the peace. There have been numerous outbreaks of violence between majority Hindus and its 200-million-strong Muslim minority. Critics accuse the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party of marginalising Muslims since…

BUDAPEST: The US has tightened the conditions under its visa waivers programme for Hungarian citizens, due to what it called Budapest’s failure to “address the security vulnerabilities” emanating from passports issued since 2011. Washington has criticised Hungary’s fast-track passport system, brought in by nationalist leader Viktor Orban, in which about a million people have become naturalised Hungarians, for being prone to “security breaches”. In 2018, the US threatened to scrap visa waivers for Hungarian passport holders after officials uncovered a fraud scheme that let non-Hungarians “enter the US under false identities”. | AFP…

Los Angeles: Rapper Cardi B has been mocked online after the microphone attack incident as viewers noticed her voice kept singing in the background. The rapper threw her microphone at a fan in Las Vegas recently after being splashed with water by an audience member, revealing that she was lip-syncing. Social media users compared her to Milli Vanilli, a 1980s pop duo who were caught lip-syncing on stage but weren’t the actual singers on the track. Cardi B has gone to the police to report being hit but no arrests have been made. | Bang Showbiz…

When rain kept Australia holed up in The Oval changing-rooms for more than two hours, Australia captain Pat Cummins might have thought his team were on their way to a long-awaited Ashes series win in England. Australia were well-placed at 264/3 after play resumed in pursuit of a mammoth victory target of 384 on Monday’s final day of the fifth Test. Even had they come away with a draw, that would still have been enough for a 2-1 series success and a first Ashes campaign triumph in England since 2001. But instead Australia lost seven wickets for 70 runs in a dramatic collapse as England won by 49 runs to end the series all square at 2-2 - the same overall result as the 2019 Ashes. This was an unusual…

THE ELECTORAL Commission of South Africa (IEC) is proposing that the deposit to be paid by parties challenging for seats in the National Assembly and provincial legislatures be increased by R100 000 to R300 000 for next year’s elections. The electoral body wants parties that will contest seats in the National Assembly, and at least one regional election, to cough up R225 000. It proposes that the deposit for parties contesting only one provincial election be R45 000. The amount proposed for an independent candidate wanting to challenge for a seat in the National Assembly is R20 000 per regional election and R15 000 for the provincial legislature. This is according to the notice in a Government Gazette published on July 28, inviting the public and interested parties to make…

Media company given a month before shutting of bank accounts IN less than 20 days, the Independent Media Group may cease to exist if things go according to Standard Bank’s notice to shut down the company’s bank accounts. The bank issued the notice on July 21, following a judgment by the Competition Appeal Court in favour of the bank’s appeal against the previous Tribunal’s interim relief, which had forced Standard Bank to keep the company’s accounts running prior to the final judgment. The interim judgment, which was granted in September last year, was due to come to an end in March this year but was extended by six months. An Independent Media spokesperson described Standard Bank’s decision as very disturbing. “The shocker is that the very next day (after the…

THE City has started issuing notices to homeowners who illegally encroach on Cape Town’s coastline, to remove their structures and rehabilitate the affected areas. The City yesterday said it was taking proactive measures in protecting the 240km of Cape Town’s coastal environment from unlawful encroachments by private property owners. An audit conducted by the City’s Coastal Management Branch identified more than 200 unlawful encroachments where people were effectively privatising coastal public open spaces or coastal public property through the installation of unlawful decks, walkways, gardens, pools, irrigation systems, sea defence structures and more. These encroachments are unlawful in terms of the City’s Coastal By-law, and the City has now begun with serving compliance notices on owners to remove the unlawful structures and rehabilitate the affected areas. The Coastal By-law that…

HESSEQUA mayor Grant Riddles, who was implicated in allegations of corruption and political interference in the Melkhoutfontein Housing Project, has been cleared of wrongdoing by a disciplinary committee. The committee took the decision after two community members mentioned in affidavits and WhatsApp voice notes reportedly refused to testify at the sitting of council. Riddles was accused of corruption and political interference in the Melkhoutfontein housing project, and for allegedly telling housing beneficiaries “to lie about their income in order to qualify for housing subsidies”. The matter was also reported to the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). The Hawks recently confirmed to the Cape Times the investigation was at an early stage. Hessequa ANC chief whip Elias Dayimani said they believe that the witnesses refused to testify because they…

THE Western Cape government has spent more than R72 million on 136 BMWs for the provincial traffic department, many sitting idle at the Gene Louw Traffic College in Brackenfell for more than a year. This was revealed by Mobility MEC Ricardo Mackenzie in written replies to questions from ANC provincial mobility spokesperson Lulama Mvimbi. Mackenzie said the vehicles which were purchased by Government Motor Transport (GMT) and once converted and fitted with the required equipment and technology, will be utilised as Highway Patrol vehicles for purposes of providing law enforcement and road safety services. He said the costs for the BMW’s amount to R72 241 704. McKenzie reportedly said the cars had not yet been used due to delays caused by the tender process for fitting reflective marking, branding…

On their tenth day at sea, the four Nigerian stowaways crossing the Atlantic in a tiny space above the rudder of a cargo ship ran out of food and drink. They survived another four days, according to their account, by drinking the sea water crashing just metres below them, before being rescued by Brazilian federal police in the southeastern port of Vitoria. Their remarkable, death-defying journey across some 5 600km of ocean underlines the risks some migrants are prepared to take for a shot at a better life. “It was a terrible experience for me,” said Thankgod Opemipo Matthew Yeye, 38, one of the four Nigerians, in an interview at a Sao Paulo church shelter. “On board it is not easy. I was shaking, so scared. But I’m here.” Their…

STOCKHOLM: Threats to Sweden have increased after recent Qur’an burnings, the country’s government said yesterday, adding that it would strengthen border and internal controls and give police wider authority to stop and search people as a result. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said sweeping changes to the Swedish freedom of speech laws were not on the table but the government was looking into changes that would allow police to stop Qur’an burnings in public if they were a threat to Sweden’s security. The 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Co-operation has called on member states to take action in countries where the Qur’an is being desecrated. | Reuters…

MENLO PARK: Meta Platforms is preparing to launch a range of artificial intelligence (AI) powered chatbots that exhibit different personalities as soon as September, reports said yesterday. Meta has been designing prototypes for chatbots that can have humanlike discussions with its users, as the company attempts to boost its engagement with its social media platforms, the report said. The California-based social media giant is even exploring a chatbot that speaks like Abraham Lincoln and another that advises on travel options in the style of a surfer. The report comes as Meta executives focus on boosting retention on its new text-based app,Threads. | Reuters…

YANGON: Myanmar reduced ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s 33-year prison sentence by six years in a partial pardon yesterday, as the junta struggles to quell bloody resistance to its rule. The country has been ravaged by violence in the two years since Suu Kyi was deposed in a coup and hit with 19 criminal cases ranging from corruption to breaching Covid-19 rules. There have been concerns for the 78-year-old Nobel laureate’s health, and the junta moved her from prison to a government building last week. Suu Kyi still faces 14 cases. Rights groups have condemned the legal battle against her as a sham designed to remove a popular democratic leader from the public eye. Former Myanmar president Win Myint, who was also removed in the 2021 coup, was…

Potential suitors will have to splash out close to R40 million if they are to lure Khanyisa Mayo away from Cape Town City, says owner John Comitis. Mayo has had a target on his back since sharing the PSL top goalscorer’s award last season with Mamelodi Sundowns ace marksman Peter Shalulile after scoring 12 goal. Comitis has previously stressed his intention to hold on to the son of former Kaizer Chiefs player Patrick Mayo, despite plenty of interest from the Soweto giants, Sundowns and clubs abroad. Mayo also showed his commitment to the Citizens at the end of last season by signing a three-year contract extension that effectively keeps the 24-year-old in Cape Town for a further five years. “We want to keep him,” Comitis said. “Mayo’s value is in…

The new Premiership season is on our doorstep as clubs from around South Africa put in their final preparations for this weekend’s first match day. AmaZulu, Royal AM, TS Galaxy and Golden Arrows made up the bottom half of the league standings last season, surviving an intense relegation battle, but also missing out on a top-eight spot. With the new season set to kickoff on Friday, Smiso Msomi takes a look at potential mid-table occupants. TS Galaxy Head Coach: Sead Ramovic Last Season: 10th The Rockets have undoubted potential to play any club off the pitch on a good day, with their head coach Sead Ramovic a big fan of entertainment. The Mpumalanga-based club’s biggest hurdle in previous years has been their inconsistency and lack of goal threat,…

IMPALA Platinum (Implats) announced yesterday that the Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat) shares would be suspended from trading on the JSE on Wednesday – a bittersweet moment for RBPlat CEO Steve Phiri. In a statement, the group said it expected that RBPlat shares would be delisted from the JSE on Monday, September 18. On July 24, RBPlat shareholders, who held more than 90% of the RBPlat shares, accepted Implats offer to acquire more of the shares that it didn’t own. Implats currently holds 98.73% of RBPlat’s issued ordinary share capital. This will result in RBPlat becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Implats. Implats said if any of the remaining RBPlat shareholders wished to oppose Implats compulsorily acquiring their remaining RBPlat shares, such shareholders were advised that they are entitled to make an…

AN ANC Mpumalanga ward councillor who, together with three others allegedly kidnapped and assaulted a pregnant woman, has “vehemently” denied the allegations against him. Ward councillor William Phetla, 39, and his alleged accomplices Kholofelo Manola, 31, Lui Nkadimeng, 48, and Thabo Ntuli, 24, were arrested for allegedly kidnapping and assaulting a 29-year-old domestic worker last Tuesday. In a statement, Phetla said police came to his home and took him to Mhluzi Police station where he co-operated with them. “On arrival at the Mhluzi police station, we were charged with a case of GBH, and the matter was then referred to Middelburg Magistrate’s Court. We appeared before the magistrate and to our surprise, the prosecutor changed the charge from grievous bodily harm (GBH) to common assault and added a kidnapping charge.…

A TOTAL of 231 rhinos were poached in South Africa six months into 2003 – a decrease of 11% compared with the same period last year. Minister of Environmental Affairs Barbara Creecy said yesterday that the poaching trends showed a move away from the Kruger National Park (KNP) to provincial and private reserves. “Forty-two rhinos were poached in the KNP and 143 in KwaZulu-Natal province from January to June 2023. “Forty-six of the rhino killed were in privately-owned nature reserves and 143 in provincially-owned reserves,” she said. A breakdown of poaching showed KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest number at 143 incidents, followed by the KNP with 42, Limpopo 20, the Eastern Cape 15, North West and Mpumalanga five each and the Western Cape recorded one incident. Creecy said collaboration between the…

On Friday, July 21, 2023, Parliament’s select committee on cooperative governance and traditional affairs visited the City of Tshwane to receive an update on the City’s finances and our response to the findings of the auditor-general. Having respect for Parliament and being candid about the challenges the City has to overcome in achieving financial recovery, the City manager and I gave a detailed presentation on what we have undertaken to secure the City’s financial sustainability. I have described the City’s financial position as critical but recoverable, and I regard the City’s adverse audit finding as a wake-up call to restore or otherwise install systems and controls that have been neglected or have never existed. During the Parliamentary oversight engagement, the chair of the select committee, Thamsanqa “China” Dodovu, did not…

Crowds of flag-waving pilgrims converged on Lisbon yesterday for the start of a week-long religious festival known as World Youth Day, a day before the arrival of Pope Francis. Around 300 000 people from around the world were expected to attend the opening mass at the hillside Eduardo VII park, which offers sweeping views of the Portuguese capital and the Tagus River. Pilgrims roamed around Lisbon in a festive mood ahead of the mass, waving national flags in the air, dancing and singing Catholic anthems from their home countries. “My goal is to recharge my spiritual battery because sometimes, as young people, we let it run low,” Xochilt Cecilia Velis, a 24-year-old from El Salvador, said in central Lisbon. The pope is set to arrive in Lisbon this morning to…

Police in Australia have charged a former childcare worker with over 1 600 offences following the alleged sexual abuse of 91 children, which he also filmed and distributed online. According to the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the 45-year-old accused, who was arrested in August 2022, carried out the crimes at 10 childcare centres in Queensland, and one each in New South Wales and an unnamed overseas country. The AFP said that the man targeted young girls over a 15-year period. He is facing 246 counts of rape and 673 counts of indecent assault against children, many of them in aggravated circumstances. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. He also faces hundreds of charges for filming and distributing child abuse material. Police have found 4 000 images and…

TOKYO: Flights were cancelled and tens of thousands of people were advised to evacuate their homes yesterday as powerful typhoon Khanun approached Japan’s southern Okinawa island chain. Residents in a wide swathe of the tropical prefecture, a popular tourist destination 1 600km south-west of Tokyo, were advised to evacuate as the storm, with winds exceeding 200km/h, slowly moved north-west. Wind and rain were picking up yesterday, with the storm expected to escalate by today. The storm’s path remains unpredictable, with some meteorologists saying it could affect eastern China later this week. | Reuters…

Kirkwall: Mail on the Scottish isles of Orkney was to be delivered by drones starting yesterday, the first regular postal service by the aerial devices in the UK. Letters and packages will be transported from Royal Mail’s Kirkwall delivery office to Stromness, where the drone deliveries will bring them to staff on Graemsay and Hoy for postal workers to carry out their usual delivery routes. Royal Mail said the drones were expected to improve service levels and delivery times to Graemsay and Hoy, where weather and geography can cause disruptions to deliveries. While the service will initially operate for three months, it could continue on a permanent basis. | AFP…

Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis says reaching the World Cup last 16 would be historic and make a huge impact in the lives of her countrymen and players. Banyana are on the cusp of history as they could reach the World Cup knockout round for the first time if they beat Italy in Wellington and Sweden beat Argentina today. Having come into the World Cup as the African Champions, South Africa were expected to wrap up their last-16 fate early in Group G, but lapses of concentration resulted in a loss to Sweden and draw with Argentina. That winless streak means that Banyana are the only African representative without a win in Australasia after Nigeria, Morocco and Zambia recorded victories. So, with the clash against Le Azzure offering them a…

Italy play Banyana Banyana at the Women’s World Cup today following a 5-0 thrashing by Sweden that left Italian players in tears, but coach Milena Bertolini is confident they will learned vital lessons for the crucial game in Wellington. “Of course, attention is going to be a critical issue for this match,” Bertolini said yesterday. “It’s either in or out. If we go back to the match against Sweden, we saw ... that we must improve from an emotional side, but all these matches are useful to grow. “The next match I think we will explore this experience that we had in the last match, and when we come to the tough issues we will come out on top.” The 16th-ranked Italians are second in Group G on three points…

The announcement of the name Moroka Swallows again taking flight in the top-tier of South African has evoked great hope for some of the older football followers. The Dube Birds of Soweto were once held in high prestige alongside Orlando Pirates, before ‘the new boys on the block’ Kaizer Chiefs, came into the picture. Amaswaiswai are one of the oldest clubs in the South African top flight, having been established in 1947, but their spotlight has been snatched by their two neighbours. Swallows were relegated from the top flight in the 2014/15 season and had seemingly dipped into non-existence but now under the leadership of Panyaza Lesufi and chairman David Mogashoa, appear revived. The duo have been in the frontline of the rebirth of Swallows, playing key roles in the…