Cape Times 2023-12-19

THE government has taken a tough stance against South Africans found to be working with the Israeli forces in the fight against Palestine. In a statement yesterday, the government issued a stern warning against those who want to join the war currently under way in Gaza, which has resulted in the death of more than 10 000 children and women. It said that South African citizens and permanent residents who have reportedly joined the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) in the Gaza conflict and other occupied Palestinian territories will be held liable for prosecution in South Africa. “The South African government is gravely concerned by reports that some South African citizens and permanent residents have joined or are considering joining the IDF in the war in Gaza and the other occupied…

A handful of Azanian People’s Organisation (Azapo) members gathered at the Diepkloof Community Hall in celebration of the father of the Black Consciousness Movement, Steve Biko’s, birthday. Biko would have turned 77 on Monday, December 18, with Azapo president Nelvis Qekema encouraging those gathered to remember and honour Biko’s selflessness as being the centre of his activism. Qekema likened Biko’s suffering during his last days to that of Jesus Christ who died on the cross. He added that taking back the country requires activists to join hands and inspire change that will lead to the return of the land, which is what Biko would have wanted from those who were inspired by his teachings. “To reclaim the country and to possess the country just requires collaboration at all levels. “You…

opposition parties have rejected national Treasury’s consideration of withdrawing half its contingency reserves to reduce the government’s debt and fund public-sector salaries. However, trade union Cosatu welcomed the move to ease the debt on state-owned enterprises. Dr Dion George, DA spokesperson on finance, said the government wants to access a portion of the funds held by the Reserve Bank. “The reason is that the government has run out of money and wants to pay debt and fund public sector salaries. “Our economy is not growing, therefore there is not enough revenue to pay for the excessive spending by the government.” Government spending on the public sector wage bill continues unabated, George said. “The government said they would restrain that spending, but it has not happened. That number keeps going up…

THE black-owned Sekunjalo group will now turn to the country’s apex court in its bid to challenge a Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruling which effectively gives Nedbank permission to shut its banking accounts, a move that could be disastrous for thousands of Sekunjalo- related companies’ employees. The SCA handed down judgment yesterday in a case where Nedbank had challenged an Equality Court interim interdict preventing it from closing any of the company’s bank accounts, and reopening those already closed, until the conclusion of the main Equality Court case in Sekunjalo’s claims of discrimination against it. The Equality Court had found that Nedbank had discriminated against Sekunjalo with Judge Mokgoatji Dolamo saying he was satisfied that Sekunjalo had established a prima facie case that it has been unfairly discriminated against.…

STANDING as a beacon of hope for his Breede Valley community, ward councillor Julian Kritzinger obtained his second doctorate earlier this month and now holds two PhDs and two Master of Laws degrees. Kritzinger, 40, said his thesis on Company Law focused on how artificial intelligence (AI) should be regulated. He argues that directors have a duty of care to enhance their companies’ cybersecurity and to protect them from cyber breaches to help make South African companies more cyber-resilient. The accolade was bestowed on him at a special graduation ceremony held at UCT. Kritzinger said: “After I finished matric in 2001, I started my academic career with the personal goal of one day holding a double-master, double-doctor in law. After having been a full-time professional student for 22 years,…

THE ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has come out strongly against the actions of former president Jacob Zuma, describing his announcement that he will vote for a new party as tantamount to “resigning” from the ANC. The party and its alliance partners held a joint briefing yesterday which had been preceded by a meeting said to have been robust. The ANC suffered a massive setback this past weekend when Zuma announced that he will not be voting for, or campaigning, for the party and will in fact vote for a new party called uMkhonto weSizwe. The ANC, which for the first time since it came to power is facing a real challenge to its dominance and state control, had hoped that Zuma would campaign for it in the next general election. Political…