Tabla de contenidos para 2021-07-19 en Cape Times

BANELE GININDZA banele.ginindza@inl.co.za JULY HAS come with severe challenges for South Africa’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which have to face, in addition to an extended lockdown and widespread looting, increases in electricity charges, a hike in property rates and higher fuel prices. This as SMEs across the country, particularly in looting-hit KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, began picking up the pieces after they were wiped out when protesters helped themselves to goods. According to insights from funder Retail Capital, the lockdowns impact SMEs not only financially, but also sentimentally, because as soon as increased restrictions are put in place, there is a general hold on spending. This, in addition to having to fork out extra money for utilities and fuel, means that available income is compromised, which has a significant knock-on…

SANDILE MCHUNU sandile.mchunu@inl.co.za RETAILERS are starting to count the cost of the impact of the past week’s looting and violent protests that ravaged their outlets in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng. Pepkor Holdings said on Friday that 489 of its retail stores, or 9 percent of its overall portfolio, had been damaged and looted. The Steinhoff International subsidiary said its operations has been impacted by the civil unrest of the past week. The damaged properties include one of the JD Group’s distribution centres in Cato Ridge, KwaZulu-Natal. The JD Group operates 16 distribution centres countrywide, and its KwaZulu-Natal stores, once reopened, would be serviced in the short term from its other distribution centres. Chief executive Leon Lourens said the vast majority of the stores across their footprint were operational,…

BEN BIERMAN JULY is the mid-year mark at which many business owners spend time reflecting on the first six months of the year and plan for the months that lie ahead. It’s an ideal time to review goals and set new ones. Goal-setting is an important exercise, because it helps businesses set tangible, reachable milestones that provide a shared vision and sense of direction for the team. It also provides a way to track progress and affirm whether the action taken today is making enough of an impact on what happens in the business tomorrow. However, setting new goals can be intimidating. It is normal to experience hesitancy and the fear of failure can plague business owners at least once in their entrepreneurial journey. Even though goals can be…

From page 1 “And I am reminded of Madiba’s indomitable spirit, which was a beacon of light for us through that darkness. “And I am sure that from up there where he is, he is watching this beloved country of his. “And in his resolute determination, which has always guided us in the darkest hours of our history, he reminds us that we can overcome any challenge if we keep focus on what is just,” she said. While lockdown level four restrictions may have prevented events, communities across the city tried to do their bit for 67 minutes, like the Shalom Gospel church in Mitchells Plain feeding 250 people in their community. The Shonaquip Social Enterprise hosting a Facebook event encouraged citizens to spend 67 minutes listening to and sharing…

Staff writer CAPETONIANS have heeded the call for relief food and other necessary supplies for KwaZulu-Natal. Several trucks have made their way to that province, while more are expected to go in the next few days. Emergency deliveries of food and medicines arrived in KZN last week, thanks to partnerships of organisations, businesses and residents. The donations come as clean-ups are also under way after the looting and civil unrest. The South African National Zakáh Fund, among others, has sent trucks to Isipingo and Umlazi to distribute bread and other essential items. Gift of the Givers has mobilised to provide relief, while The Angel Network and HopeSA are sending a cargo truck and plane to KwaZulu-Natal with maize meal, beans, oil, sugar, baby formula and nappies. The South African National…

Sihle Mavuso sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za THERE are massive disagreements as South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma today returns to the Pietermaritzburg High Court to state why he should not be prosecuted for corruption. Among the simmering disagreements is whether Zuma’s hearing should be virtual or not, and whether or not such a hearing is constitutionally sound. Over the weekend, the Jacob Zuma Foundation insisted that, in a criminal trial, all accused should be present in court and, if that’s not the case, there should be exceptional circumstances to explain why. Regarding the virtual hearing, which means no parties should need to be physically present in court, the Jacob Zuma Foundation said the “sensitive” hearing should be shelved if the situation does not allow for it. Zuma is currently jailed at Estcourt prison,…

Nicola Daniels and Mayibongwe Maqhina SOUTH Africans reflected on Mandela Day as the country was engulfed by unprecedented protests and violence, at a time when it tried to reaffirm that which it held dear – democracy. This was said by Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu at the Nelson Mandela Memorial Lecture yesterday. Sisulu said Mandela was completely unapologetic about the position of the ANC and was always calm in everything he did. “From this man and his generation, we have learnt all we needed to learn about revolutionary fervour and its all-encompassing mindset that produces immense selflessness, readiness to commit to give up everything, and ensure rights and justice for all and subordination to the cause of the struggle for equality.” Sisulu said the reflections on…

Francesca Villette francesca.villette@inl.co.za COASTAL villages on the West Coast have been devastated by the Covid-19 third wave. Among them is the small town of Doringbaai. With a population of about 1 300, Doringbaai has recorded 67 confirmed positive cases and five Covid-19 related deaths. There are 10 active cases. Resident and founding member of community organisation Coastal Links, Hambile “Papa Chocolate” Rholoma, died from Covid-19 last week. Coastal Links was established in 2003, with structures in the Western and Northern Cape. It is used as a vehicle for small-scale fishers to secure their livelihoods and overall human rights. Coastal Links member Peter Owies said: “Papa Chocolate was a dear friend of mine. We were together when Coastal Links began. We were among the first members. He gave of himself selflessly…

Len Walker | Somerset West WHILE there was little option and no alternative but to deploy the army in the affected areas of Gauteng and KZN to bolster the efforts of the SAPS, it was clearly evident from the TV video pictures and visuals that the soldiers were not being aggressive enough. All the soldiers seemed to be armed but they appeared to be walking around aimlessly and it also appeared that they were assisting looters in loading up their vehicles with stolen goods. The looters seemed to be well dressed and they did not look as if they were hobos or rogues and the vehicles that were in picture were mostly pretty smart cars or SUVs. The soldiers should have realised that this was a warfare situation.…

Ilse Haas | Bothasig CITIZENS in SA are getting told one lie after another by politicians. I have been watching daily the looting in different areas of the country. How can Cele stand there and say the police have done what they should do? He should have said the police have done what they had been told to do: “nothing!” Standing “spread-legged” in rows, hands on weapons, watching looters running in and out carrying items, a double-bed mattress carried on the head, trolleys full of looted smaller goods. Instead of preventing the mob running in … well, who had the guns and rifles? How can a bunch of criminals carelessly destroy an ATM machine right in front of the police station in full view of TV cameras? How…

Professor Salim Abdool Karim | CAPRISA director I STRONGLY condemn the current looting and arson, during the unrest and protest action, in no uncertain terms. It is particularly shocking that the looters seem to know exactly the time and place of the next mall to be looted, as they arrive in numbers from near and far. Statements by our leadership, proclaiming the rule of law is supreme and that looters will feel the might of the law, ring shamefully hollow – this when police stand, impotent, watching looters carrying their loot right in front of them, as we witnessed in Nandi Drive, in Durban, on Tuesday. Yet the chaos in our country continued unabated in its fourth day, as the authorities seem unable or unwilling to wrest control…

Movement for a United South Africa We call on all democratic and non-partisan citizens, community- based organisations (CBOs), faith-based-organisations (FBOs), structured and non-structured coalitions, associations and movements to join us in our call for implementation of sustainable peace and security for all citizens of our country. We call on state institutions to uphold the democratic function of government espoused in the Constitution and the justice system of law and order. We call for active participation by communities in promoting calm and local stability including the National Action Plan (NAP) adopted by Cabinet in August last year and launched in March this year for Women Peace and Security (WPS). All state institutions and all three spheres of government (national, provincial, and municipal) as well as all three arms of government…

Thirteen people were killed and 24 others seriously burnt when a “huge fireball” engulfed a crowd in Kenya as they siphoned fuel from an overturned petrol truck that ignited. Police said yesterday the death toll could rise, with investigators trying to account for the missing, and charred bodies found among the twisted wreckage of the fuel tanker. The truck collided with another vehicle and overturned late on Saturday near Malanga, 315km northwest of Nairobi, on the busy highway between Kisumu and the border with Uganda. Onlookers rushed to the crash site with jerrycans to collect the leaking fuel but soon after the truck exploded, consuming the crowd in an inferno. “We were woken up by a very loud blast. When I rushed out, I saw a huge fireball and people…

Cairo: Egyptian activist and journalist Esraa Abdel-Fattah, one of the symbols of the 2011 revolution, has been freed after nearly 22 months in pre-trial detention, lawyer Khaled Ali said yesterday. Ali, as well as friends of Abdel-Fattah, posted photographs online of her being released from prison. In 2008, Abdel-Fattah created an “April 6” Facebook page in support of striking workers and to call for political reforms, at the start of the mobilisation of protests that would lead to the toppling of president Hosni Mubarak three years later. Abdel-Fattah, 43, was arrested in 2019 on charges of “spreading false news” and “collaborating with a terrorist group”. Her detention sparked international condemnation, with the US calling it “scandalous”. Activist Mahienour el-Masry, journalist Moataz Wednan, leftist columnist Gamal al-Gamal, leftist politician Abdel Nasser…

Bogotá: A dozen extremists were arrested in Colombia during raids conducted by police ahead of planned Independence Day protests on July 20, Colombian Defence Minister Diego Molano said. The arrests took place in Medellin, Pasto, Villavicencio, Cucuta, Neiva, Soacha and Palmira. The detained individuals planned to use the explosives, seized by police, to attack the public forces and burn buses and other public property on July 20, Molano said. This year the holiday is going to be held without public parades or crowds. There will be a military parade that will be televised. It is also the day that the country’s Congress will begin its new session.…

JERUSALEM - Brief clashes erupted yesterday between Israeli police and Palestinians at Al Aqsa mosque over visits by Jews to the compound revered in Judaism as the site of two destroyed Biblical temples. No serious injuries were reported in what police described as stone throwing early in the day by several Palestinian youngsters who it said were then dispersed. Palestinian officials said police forcefully evacuated Muslim worshippers to clear the way for Jewish visitors and fired rubber-coated bullets during the confrontation in one of the most sensitive venues in the Arab-Israeli conflict.…

Economists not expecting Reserve Bank to raise interest rates at MPC meeting Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE SOUTH African Reserve Bank (SARB) is expected to keep interest rates unchanged at 3.5 percent this week as consumers continue struggling with rising fuel and electricity prices. The central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will this week announce its interest rates decision following a unanimous decision to keep them unchanged in May. SARB Governor Lesetja Kganyago, however, warned that the implied policy rate path of their projection model indicated an increase of 25 basis points in each of the second and fourth quarters of 2021. Inflation is forecast to be moderate at around 4.9 percent in June from 5.2 percent in May, above the SARB’s 3 to 6 percent target range,…

OPEC IS AT it again – or to be exact, two of its eminent constituent members are. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the de facto owners of Opec and the United Arab Emirates, the third-largest producing power in that group, are mulling over the possibility of a discord. At its conclusion, yet uncertain, it must permit for the recognition of the UAE as a powerful broker within the brotherhood without wresting the reins of control from Riyadh. The inevitable consequence of so much sabre-rattling has been the sharp increase in the oil price. From the depressed West Texas Intermediate oil contracts priced below zero in early 2020 to a staggering $75 per barrel in mid-July, so many questions are bound to follow. The reasons for the stand-off, rhyming quite close…

From page 1 He added that they want Zuma to be driven from his Estcourt prison cell to Pietermaritzburg, to be present in court when the application is argued on Monday. “Yes, it’s a criminal case. Both the constitution and even the Criminal Procedure Act direct so,” Manyi told Independent Media on Sunday. “Remember, at times, lawyers need to consult the client to check the veracity of some statements being made by the prosecutor. You can’t stop the prosecutor and ask for adjournment to call your client in Estcourt,” Manyi said. Yesterday, the spokesperson of the NPA Mthunzi Mhaga said they were aware that Zuma and his legal team were against the virtual sitting and they were ready to oppose that. “Yesterday, yes, our prosecutors have received them. Still working…

Baldwin Ndaba and Zintle Mahlati A senior Joburg politician, who allegedly incited mobs to attack malls on Gauteng's West Rand, is due to appear in the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court today. This as Police Minister Bheki Cele said police had identified three more suspects positively linked to the violent pro- tests in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. The identities of the three would only be revealed after law enforcement agencies had executed their arrests, Cele said during Mandela Day celebrations and a crime-prevention campaign in KwaZulu-Natal yesterday. The politician, who will be identified after he appears in court and who is linked to one of the political parties represented in the City of Joburg, allegedly made the call to his supporters and ANC Youth League and ANC Women’s League members on Thursday last…

Okuhle Hlati and Odwa Mkentane COMMUTERS have expressed their frustration at having to hitch-hike and walk in the dark morning hours due to the unabated taxi violence plaguing some areas. However, commuters will continue to be stranded, as no agreement has been reached between the Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (Codeta) and the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata). The two taxi associations have been in conflict over the B97 Paarl-Mbekweni route on which many, including commuters, have been shot dead and others wounded. This as Golden Arrow Bus Service (Gabs) moved to reassure commuters that it has no involvement in the current taxi association tensions, after shots were fired at a staff transport bus last Thursday by suspects allegedly in a Toyota Avanza. In the latest taxi-related shooting on Saturday,…

Staff writer INDEPENDENT Media has appointed respected veteran anti-apartheid lawyer, advocate and acting Judge, Michael Donen SC, to chair its external inquiry into the decuplets story published in the Pretoria News early last month. Since breaking the news of the miracle birth of the 10 babies, the story has received international exposure and local censure, with many decrying the news as fake. Piet Rampedi, the editor who exclusively broke the story, maintains that Gosiame Sithole was pregnant with multiple babies, and believes his story still holds true. However, the story has become mired in controversy, conflicting accounts, and contradictory evidence, with Independent Media’s reputation also under the spotlight. Consequently, the news organisation has launched several measures to uncover the facts behind the story. One of those actions is an independently…

MICHAEL BAGRAIM | Highlands Estate YOUR Friday edition refers: The letter from Nyaniso Qwesha is correct. It certainly was a handful of individuals who were the catalyst to the violent protests and looting but the call was made to a fertile population. The people are unemployed and the government has done little to encourage the private sector to create more jobs. Hopefully Qwesha is right when he says there is hope for a better future. The government must understand it now has two simple jobs to do. First, they must make sure that vaccinations are distributed far and wide and second, they must release the onerous regulations on small businesses to encourage them to employ more people.…

Neil Veitch | Kenilworth AS A retired teacher of fairly limited means these days, I have often been tempted to suggest to the cohorts of beggars congregating at traffic lights that somehow Jacob Zuma be contacted to make good their shortage of funds. The former president’s monumental record of theft, corruption and greed is well documented but, in addition, his followers, in trying to spring him from jail, provided the catalyst for frighteningly wide-spread mayhem and theft. This can reasonably be attributed to Zuma’s continuing and malignant influence, even though the man is behind bars. South Africans, whether formerly privileged or presently still oppressed, should realise that our collective suffering arises, albeit in part, from the criminal activities of the liberation heroes who vowed not to take part in the…

MOHAMED SAEED | Pietermaritzburg I AM very sorry to hear of the terrible and large-scale losses due to the looting, robbing, thieving and vandalism. None of us were prepared for such large-scale ransacking of retail outlets, warehouses and shopping centres and disruptions. I could not believe how shocking and shattering the damage was to our communities, and especially to lives, properties and businesses. It is difficult to understand the emotional and mental feelings of such massive losses. I pray Almighty will help all put their lives back in order. Together with the effects of Covid-19 and the current unfortunate situation we find ourselves in, as a community we have to make the best out of the heartbreaking state of affairs and support each other in the process of…

The rampant looting and acts of vigilantism that dotted parts of Kwa Zulu-Natal last week point to the lack of leadership in some communities. Communities that stopped looting from taking place in their neighbourhoods are being lauded for preventing shopping malls and areas from being looted or set alight. They have contributed to ensuring food security in these areas, whereas in areas where looting and destruction took place, food security is tenuous, at best. At the same time, vigilantism in some communities has seen innocent people targeted, and the horrific stories are slowly being revealed. The leadership vacuum in these communities led to community members taking up the initiative to protect themselves. In some incidents vigilantes became judge, jury and executioner and, as invariably is the case with kangaroo courts,…

Thousands of Cubans gathered at the La Piragua esplanade in Havana to show support for the island nation’s government after recent unrest. Raul Castro, the leader of the Cuban socialist revolution, President Miguel Diaz-Canel, high-ranking officials and leaders of social organisations attended the event at the weekend.Diaz-Canel said that the Cuban revolution continued to stand by its people, and accused the US administration of sponsoring a campaign against the Caribbean country. Unity had helped Cubans overcome crises, said Gerardo Hernandez, national co-ordinator of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, adding that the US administration wanted to destabilise the island’s suburbs. “This revolution was made by Raul and Fidel (Castro) for the humble, with the humble, and for the sake of the humble,” he said. Julio Cesar Crespo, who…

The widow of Haiti’s slain president, Jovenel Moise, returned home at the weekend after being treated in Florida for wounds she suffered in the attack. Martine Moise, 47, with her right arm in a sling and wearing a bullet- proof vest, was received at Port-au-Prince airport by interim prime minister Claude Joseph, secretary of state for communications Frantz Exantus wrote on Twitter. Under grey skies and buffeted by strong winds, the first lady gingerly descended the steps of the plane before firmly shaking hands with those assembled to welcome her. “The first lady … has just arrived in Haiti to take part in preparations for the state funeral of her husband,” Exantus wrote, posting pictures of Moise disembarking from a private plane accompanied by multiple security agents. She had spent…

Tokyo: An Uzbek man, 30, has been arrested on suspicion of raping a woman in the Tokyo Olympic Stadium last week just days before the Games begin, police reported. The man, a university student identified as Davronbek Rakhmatullaev, allegedly raped the victim in her 20s on Friday night, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Departmentsaid. Local media said the suspect got to know the Japanese woman on the day and attacked her near spectators’ seats at the stadium after they watched a rehearsal of the Olympic opening ceremony. Kyodo News said both were part-time workers related to the Games. The man has denied the allegations.…

Bangkok: Thai police deployed water cannon against protesters in Bangkok yesterday as demonstrators defied Covid-19 restrictions to call for Premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha’s resignation and mark the one-year anniversary of a pro-democracy movement. The kingdom is currently facing its worst-ever Covid-19 wave, registering record numbers of cases daily as hospitals buckle under pressure. Exacerbating the toll has been the government’s slow procurement of vaccines, which has drawn criticism from all sides as Thailand’s economy is kneecapped by increasingly severe restrictions.…

Lewis Hamilton won his home British Grand Prix for a record-extending eighth time yesterday despite a 10-second penalty for a controversial first lap collision that sent Red Bull rival Max Verstappen crashing out of the race. The Mercedes driver, now only eight points behind Verstappen after 10 races, passed Ferrari's Charles Leclerc for the lead with two laps to go as a capacity 140 000 crowd rose to cheer him. Hamilton's teammate Valtteri Bottas was third after obeying team orders to let Hamilton through and chase Leclerc in a race halted after Verstappen's crash and then re-started. The win was the 99th of seven-time world champion Hamilton's Formula One career and fourth of the current campaign. It was also the worst possible result for Verstappen, who had started on pole…

Sandile Mchunu sandile.mchunu@inl.co.za RICHEMONT reported a strong first quarter of its 2022 financial year with 129 percent sales growth in the three months to end June boosted by the performance of jewellery maisons and the specialist watchmakers. The group said almost all its opera- tional regions reported triple-digit growth in sales during the quarter. Jewellery maisons and specialist watchmakers were the best performers after reporting sales growth of 142 percent and 143 percent respectively. The group’s 2020 first quarter was severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to a triple-digit growth in sales during the current quarter, with the exception of Asia Pacific, online distributors and online retail, where sales grew by double-digits. “The other business area, mostly composed of our fashion and accessories Maisons, also…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za GOVERNMENT’S proposal to enable companies to produce up to 100 megawatts (MW) of electricity for their use and on-selling to the grid might not be a blue swan after all, as Eskom and energy experts confirmed the utility would still have to charge higher tariffs to keep its boilers going. The utility would also have to make up for the revenue lost as South Africa’s intense energy users, the most diligent revenue generators, cut down on Eskom supplies as they utilise their own generation capacity. “There needs to be a cost reflective, transparent tariff structure to address issues like Eskom being the supplier of last resort and wheeling across our networks. “This would be the same for similar situations on the municipal networks,” Eskom confirmed this…

Bang Showbiz Chrissy Teigen feels “lost” and “depressed” after becoming a part of “cancel club”. The Lip Sync Battle star recently apologised for being a “troll” following bullying accusations from Courtney Stodden – who claimed the 35-year-old beauty used to message her to tell her to take her own life – but she admitted the scandal has taken its toll on her mental health and she doesn’t feel “right” about leaving the house any more. Alongside a photo of her own legs, Teigen wrote on Instagram: “Iiiii don’t really know what to say here... just feels so weird to pretend nothing happened in this online world but feel like utter s**t in real life. “Going outside sucks and doesn’t feel right, being at home alone with my mind makes my…

Chevon booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za TO COMMEMORATE Mandela Day yesterday, the community of Parkwood took back their streets by painting over gangster territory markings and vandalised spaces. Co-ordinated by the SAPS youth desk of neighbouring community Grassy Park, the event was held in Blackbird Avenue, Parkwood, where residents participated alongside SAPS, the youth desk, neighbourhood watches and local community policing forum (CPF). The deputy chairperson of the youth desk, Saadiqah Ganief, said the project yesterday restored dignity to a community gripped by gang violence. “The decision to paint over the graffiti, territory markings and unsavoury commentary around the Parkwood community came after ongoing gang violence, which spiked last month. The idea behind the 67 minutes giving back to our community is very significant and is very important to everybody. “It was amazing…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za NOT one of the 108 District Six claimants who were allocated houses in the third phase of the District Six Redevelopment Project have received a key or a clear date on when they could move in. This despite Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Thoko Didiza last month announcing that the process of returning to District Six for the 108 claimants would take place from June 24 to July 16. Approached for comment on the reason for the delay yesterday, Department spokesperson Reggie Ngcobo said he was not aware of a delay. When referred back to the dates the Department had mentioned and further probed, Ngcobo did not respond. However, the family of the oldest living land claimant, Shariefa Khan, who turned 100 this year,…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za IN A SHOW of Ubuntu, Town Two residents in Khayelitsha have opened their hearts and pockets to rebuild a house for a family who lost four loved ones, mostly children, in a devastating fire two years ago. The house, in Hlomela Street, was completely gutted by a fire on May 21, 2019, allegedly as the result of a faulty electrical box. Four family members, Twayisa Myathaza, 36, who was pregnant, and her children Nandile, 14, Lindokuhle, 5, and Linamandla, 3, were killed. Myathaza’s 41-year-old brother, Thobela Maqungo, who was pulled from the blaze by neighbours, was left critically injured and destitute. A community task team, together with residents, launched a crowdfunding campaign with the hopes of rebuilding the home and to restore the family’s dignity. As…

Staff writer A CAPE Town man, who is part of an international child pornography network, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison following his conviction on more than 3 000 counts of distribution, importation and creation of child pornography. The Wynberg Regional Court suspended two years of the sentence for five years on condition that Clinton Calder is not convicted of Sexual Offences and Related Matters or contravention of the Films and Publications Act. He was convicted on 3 195 counts of possession of child pornography, a count of distributing child pornography, a count of importation of child pornography and a count of creation of child pornography. Calder started his criminal activities in September 2014 until June 2015. He was arrested in August 2015. Prosecutors advocate Evadne Kortje and…

Charl van Wyk | Durbanville MANY have voiced their concerns and presented their views on the proposed changes to the Firearms Control Amendment Bill. The biggest issue of contention is the proposal to scrap self-defence as a reason for applying for a firearm licence. Police Minister Bheki Cele has gone on record stressing that arming citizens will not solve the country’s high crime rate. Firearms make it easier to kill, but firearms also make it easier for citizens to defend themselves or other innocent victims. Several photographs and videos on social media have shown armed citizens resisting looters busy on their latest “shopping sprees”. Private businesses apparently stepped in to donate ammunition to the police and private security companies during the latest riots. For communists, social regeneration takes…

Concerned Citizen I WISH to express my concern at the return to school of all learners while we are undergoing the current pandemic. While I agree that the present situation where learners are not at school every day is not educationally or socially sound, overcrowding a classroom is not the answer. Has anyone considered other options? We are all aware that our schools are a reflection of our society which is grossly unequal. Some schools can accommodate all learners and still have vacant rooms. Why has no one considered sharing these valuable resources? Placing 50 or more learners in a classroom is asking for trouble. Let us look at a way of getting all learners into a classroom that will not be hazardous to the health of society. I am…

Mushtak Parker “YOU can never forget where you come from or the people who have helped you get here. A lot of us just need an opportunity. I’m hoping that we have given people some hope to pull together as a country. Your past doesn't determine your future. When I was a kid all I was thinking about was getting my next meal,” emphasised Siya Kolisi following his appointment in 2018 as the first black South African to captain the Springboks. The stark reality is that 28 years into democracy too many South Africans, especially children, are still suffering the same hunger pangs that their rugby icon endured growing up. The tragedy is that South Africa is the universal rule, not the exception. A recent UN multiagency report warns of…

BERLIN: CHANCELLOR Angela Merkel said yesterday she was horrified by the “surreal” devastation in the flood-ravaged region of Germany, as the toll in western Europe reached at least 184 people dead with dozens still missing. The veteran leader walked through the village of Schuld in Rhineland-Palatinate state, one of the two hardest-hit regions in western Germany. Merkel listened to the accounts of residents in areas where the swollen Ahr river swept away houses and left debris piled high in the streets. “It is a surreal, eerie situation,” a visibly shaken Merkel said, as she pledged quick aid to rebuild. At least 157 people have died since Wednesday in Germany’s worst flooding in living memory, police said. In Rhineland-Palatinate state alone, authorities reported 110 dead and 670 injured. At least 27…

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis made his first public appearance since returning to the Vatican mid-week after an 11-day hospital stay, telling well-wishers they should take a break and switch off from the stresses of modern life. “Let us put a halt to the frantic running around dictated by our agendas. Let us learn how to take a break, to turn off the mobile phone,” Pope Francis said in his weekly address from a window overlooking St Peter’s Square. The 84-year-old pope had part of his colon removed in an operation on July 4.…

Rebels in Ethiopia’s war-hit Tigray have carried out operations against pro-government troops in neighbouring Afar region, a spokesperson said yesterday, opening a new front in the widening eight-month conflict. The “very limited action” targeted special forces and militia fighters from Oromia region, Ethiopia’s largest, who were massing along the Tigray-Afar border, the rebel spokesperson, Getachew Reda, told AFP. “We took those actions to ensure those forces are sent back to Oromia, and we have managed to do that,” Getachew said, adding that there were some casualties but he could not provide figures. “Our action was very limited to dispersing the peasant militia from Oromia that was mostly press-ganged into fighting the useless war.” Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into Tigray last November to detain and disarm leaders of…

ANKARA: Turkey yesterday slammed a ruling by a top EU court allowing the banning of headscarves under certain conditions as a “clear violation of religious freedoms”, saying the move would exacerbate prejudices against Muslim women in Europe. The Luxembourg-based EU Court of Justice ruled on Thursday that companies in the bloc could ban employees from wearing a headscarf under certain conditions, if they needed to do so to project an image of neutrality to customers. The Turkish Foreign Ministry said that the ruling was a sign of rising Islamophobia at a time when Muslim women were being subjected to increasing discrimination.…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za COBUS REINACH made his Springbok debut in 2014 but has just 15 Test caps to his name. That is a bit of an injustice to a man as talented as the former Sharks scrumhalf, who now plays his club rugby for Montpellier in France, after a lengthy stint at Northampton Saints in England. He missed out on selection for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, with Rudy Paige getting the nod as the third No 9 behind Fourie du Preez and Ruan Pienaar. It looked like he was going to be overlooked for the 2019 edition as well, with Faf de Klerk and Herschel Jantjies having emerged. But he was brought into the Bok mix by coach Rassie Erasmus that year, and made it count as he…