Tabla de contenidos para 2023-01-11 en Cape Times

Manufacturing output in South Africa is expected to continue struggling as the impact of the Transnet strike and intense power cuts of up to Stage 6 continued to weigh on the sector, after activity fell to a five-month low in November. Data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) yesterday showed that manufacturing production fell by 1.1% from a year earlier in November, less than expected compared with market forecasts of a 3.5% decline. This downwards print in November followed a 1% increase in the preceding month of October, and was the first monthly decline in the country’s factory activity after four consecutive months of increases since July. This was a turn for the worse for the manufacturing industry which was a significant positive contributor to the 1.6% growth in gross…

THE funeral of former Cape Times night foreman, John Ellis, will be held on January 24. Ellis died of heart failure on December 17 at the age of 80. His family said this came after he won his battle with cancer three years ago. Ellis worked as a night foreman at the Cape Times printing press in the city for around 25 years before he retired around 1994/1995. “He talked constantly about how much he enjoyed his job at the Cape Times, especially when he moved back to the UK when I was born in 1998,” his granddaughter Cait Power said. “His job back then involved the manual printing of newspapers and I think it instilled in him a lot of pride. Sadly, my granddad passed away aged 80 (on…

billionaire Rob Hersov has launched a scathing attack against environmental activists who want South Africa to stop using coal in favour of renewable energy while Western countries exploit the home grown mineral. Hersov stopped short of swearing at the foreign investors who fund local activists in order for them to take advantage of the country’s energy sources at the expense of a nation stuck with recurring electricity blackouts. Known as a vocal investor who dislikes radical left political parties such as the EFF and their controversial policies, Hersov appeared to have adopted their tone when addressing the sensitive energy issue facing South Africa. “How can these green activists (that are) funded overseas dare impose moratoriums and blocks on us for our energy sovereignty? “How dare they do that? We have…

ONCE again we have the same headlines in the paper which we read year after year and that is of the scramble for limited school spaces. No one, of course, ever speaks about the elephant in the room. There are too many of us fighting for a small slice of the pie. Of course, the Education Department in the Western Cape has a lot to worry about, in that children suddenly arrive without having placements for the new year. They obviously just arrive on the doorstep wanting admission. Also, parents who haven’t booked their children into school and expect at the last minute for the WCED to find room. We see this same scenario every year. It doesn’t seem to matter how many classrooms are built or even schools –…

THE rush for bargains on school stationery is well under way, as supermarkets are still overflowing with parents and their children gearing up for the first day of school next week. The Cape Times observed parents spending no less than R1 000 on a small basket of stationery items on Monday. The stationery list for a pupil starting Grade 5 includes exercise books, four 43g Pritts, Prestik, a ream of photocopy paper, files, scissors, an eraser, a sharpener, an English dictionary and drawing boards. Nancy D’Oliveira from Athlone said stationery was expensive, and children either lost it during the year or they didn’t use it at all. “My husband paid R1 200 at Checkers. I paid R300 for hardcovers at PEP. “Last week, I had to buy three extra books…

SIMPLY because the mother has had a child with the father does not mean that her entitlement to a life of her own must be discounted and ignored, while he can continue as he chooses and directs, a judge said. This was in allowing the mother of a 2-year-old to relocate to another province with her daughter. The mother turned to the high court sitting in Pietermaritzburg, as the father of the child refused her permission to relocate the child. The parties were never married. They broke up when the child was 14 months old and had a parenting plan in place, which, among others, stated that neither party would be allowed to relocate outside the borders of KwaZulu-Natal and/or South Africa without the other party’s written consent. This would…

Strategic partnership has brought substantial benefits to both countries The long-standing fraternal relations and solidarity that existed between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the ANC and other South African liberation movements, culminated in the signing of the Agreement on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between South Africa and China in Pretoria in 1997, with the provision for it to take effect on January 1,1998. The establishment of diplomatic relations ushered in a new era for South Africa and China co-operation. It paved the way for closer political, economic, cultural and people-to-people ties, in a spirit of increasing friendship and constructive dialogue. The official establishment of diplomatic relations in 1998 was celebrated with a state visit of the highest symbolic significance by then President Nelson Mandela to China…

London: A Church of England funding body apologised yesterday for its historic links to slavery, after researchers unearthed the slavery links by combing through ledgers from more than 200 years ago at Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s official London residence. The Church’s commissioners committed £100 million (about R2 billion) of investment over the next nine years to “a better and fairer future for all” to address the wrongs of the past. The money will target “communities affected by historic slavery”, and further research about church links to the practice. |…

A World Health Organization committee (WHO) will meet on January 27 to consider whether the Covid-19 pandemic still represents a global emergency, a spokesperson said yesterday, three years after it was first declared. The WHO spokesperson, Carla Drysdale, confirmed the timing of the meeting at a Geneva press briefing. The Emergency Committee advises WHO director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus who makes the ultimate call on whether an outbreak represents a so-called Public Health Emergency of International Concern which is the UN agency’s highest level of alert. Several leading scientists and WHO advisers say it may be too early to declare the end of the Covid-19 pandemic emergency phase because of high levels of infections in China which dismantled its zero-Covid policy last month. However, the WHO also said…

The number of journalists who were attacked while covering the protests that broke out in Brazil has increased to 14, the Union of Journalists of the federal district of the country said. Among the injured journalists are employees of such media outlets as the Washington Post, Anadolu, Reuters and AFP, many of whom had their equipment stolen. Supporters of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, protesting the results of the presidential election last year, stormed key government buildings in the Brazilian capital on Sunday. Police regained control of the buildings in the evening and arrested more than 400 people the same day. Security forces in Brasilia have launched an operation to disperse a protest camp located near the headquarters of the Brazilian armed forces. Meanwhile, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da…

Financial services authority mulls R15m penalty imposed on the former chief executive The Financial Services Tribunal (FST) yesterday dismissed an application from former Steinhoff International Holdings CEO Markus Jooste to suspend public censures imposed on him by the JSE, and the JSE’s prohibition of him becoming a director of a listed company for 20 years. However, the JSE said in an update yesterday that Jooste’s application to suspend the R15 million in fines imposed on him by the JSE was still being considered by the FST. Jooste is alleged to have master- minded the accounting frauds that led to South Africa’s biggest corporate collapse of some R200 billion in market capitalisation alone in 2017. He has contested the censures and fines imposed on him by the JSE. “The…

FORMER president Jacob Zuma has called out President Cyril Ramaphosa, questioning if he was getting “special treatment” by virtue of being president following a decision by the high court to hear Ramaphosa’s case before a full Bench. Zuma and Ramaphosa are at loggerheads after the ex-president instituted private prosecution against the incumbent as “accessory after the fact”. The case initially involved advocate Billy Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan. Zuma accused them of allegedly leaking his confidential medical information during his arms deal trial. However, Ramaphosa is seeking to block this private prosecution, which is set to be heard in front of a full Bench tomorrow at 10am. Presiding over the matter will be Gauteng Deputy Judge President (DJP) Roland Sutherland, who issued a directive saying that a full Bench would…

THE Competition Commission says it continues to monitor excessive pricing on school clothing items, to ensure compliance with its guidelines. In December 2020, the Commission and the Department of Basic Education produced school uniform guidelines to ensure uniforms were as generic as possible. Reduction in the number of unique uniform items that needed to be acquired from pre-selected suppliers; parents being able to exercise their choice as consumers; and schools being required to manage a competitive bidding process before committing to service providers were among the stipulations. Commission spokesperson Siyabulela Makunga said: “There is an encouraged awareness and compliance with room for improvement of course. Last year between August and October, we conducted a national survey working with the Department of Basic Education. 401 schools - 60% of which were…

ALLOW me the courtesy to preface this article with the compelling words of the 18th century poet George Cooper: “One by one of death are tasting.” These words came to mind when I heard of Adriaan Vlok’s demise. One who was ruthless in his quest to annihilate anyone who dared oppose the archaic, draconian laws of the racist regime… instilling fear among the overwhelming black and the not-so-white people who had no status whatsoever. How can I forget Vlok… when Jackie Jackson, a WP sprinter and I outsprinted his charges from Woodstock police station one Friday evening… finding refuge in the tall grass of Wesley Training College in Durham Avenue Salt River. Unlike many who never got away and whose dear ones had to identify their mortal remains… many…

A MORATORIUM on school closures in the province remained in place, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) confirmed yesterday, pending a review of legislation. Education MEC, David Maynier, said no schools would be closed until a report on the way forward was developed. “A moratorium on school closures still applies. “Having looked at the Standard Parameters for Closure and Merger of Micro Public Schools, and the Guidelines for Rationalisation and Realignment of Public Schools – A Holistic Approach, we’re not sure this is the best way to approach the unique circumstances of each school. “We want to develop our own data-driven policy in line with our vision before proceeding. In light of this, I have placed a moratorium on school closures, pending a review of our approach,” said Maynier. Teachers…

FOR more than 20 years, at least 14 families in the Western Cape are still searching for their missing children. Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said there were currently 14 cases of missing children under investigation in the province since 1994. Ten of the children were under 12. “The Standard Operational Procedures are applied to all missing persons. No matter age grouping. “Each and every case receives urgent and immediate attention. “Co-operation from immediate family and community members is the biggest challenge police face when it comes to missing person cases. “Lack of parental and caretaker supervision is a huge concern. “Children are left playing/wandering outside without proper supervision,” Van Wyk said. In most cases, children were found dead after being raped and killed by family members or family friends,…

LONDON: Space sector bosses said yesterday they were disappointed by the failure of the UK’s historic first attempt to launch satellites from home soil but pledged to try again. The failure of the mission on Monday night is a blow to the UK’s fledgling space sector. A Virgin Orbit Boeing 747 carrying the 21m-long rocket took off from a spaceport in Cornwall, south-west England. The rocket then detached from the aircraft and ignited as planned at a height of 10.6km over the Atlantic Ocean to the south of Ireland. But as it was due to enter orbit and discharge its nine satellites, scientists reported an “anomaly” that prevented it from reaching orbit. |…

Cotonou: Benin’s electoral officials were tallying ballots yesterday after a parliamentary vote seen as a key test of democracy in the West African state. Final results from Sunday’s vote, which observers from the regional bloc Ecowas (Economic Community of West African States) hailed as peaceful and calm, are expected by the end of the week. Opposition parties took part for the first time since President Patrice Talon came to power. Talon, a cotton magnate first elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2021, has promoted political and economic development but, say critics, at the cost of stifling Benin’s once-vibrant political culture. |…

Israel’s parliament started voting overnight on reviving a law which gives settlers in the occupied West Bank access to civilian law, while their Palestinian neighbours face military courts. The session marks the first legislative move since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took office last month, at the helm of the most right-wing government in Israeli history. The legislation, which has been repeatedly renewed since Israel seized the Palestinian territory in the 1967 Six-Day War, hit a stumbling block in June, contributing to the previous government’s collapse. Some members of the then coalition opted to vote against the law, which grants some 475 000 West Bank settlers the same rights as citizens living in Israel. The opposition then led by Netanyahu went against its ideological support of settlements to defeat the legislation,…

A court in Uganda yesterday quashed a section of a communications law that has been used to prosecute government critics, journalists and writers, including two who fled to exile in Germany, its judgment said. Under Uganda’s Computer Misuse Act, one of the sections proscribes the use of electronic communication to “disturb the peace, quiet or right of privacy of any person with no purpose of legitimate communication”. Punishments for offenders can range from steep cash penalties to jail sentences of several years. In a ruling on a petition filed by a rights activist who was seeking the quashing of that section of the law, the Constitutional Court in Uganda agreed, saying that it violated the constitution. Constitutional Court Judge Kenneth Kakuru, who wrote the lead judgment on behalf of a…

The tourism and hospitality industry in South Africa has heaved a sigh of relief after the government decided to not impose any crippling restrictions on travel and gatherings, at least not yet, in spite of a highly-transmissible Covid-19 Omicron sub-variant detected in the country. Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla yesterday said the government will not impose any internal restrictions as a result of the emergence of a newly found Covid-19 sub-variant. The XBB.1.5 sub-variant of the globally dominant Omicron variant was first detected in South Africa on December 27 by Stellenbosch University researchers and reported earlier this month. Phaahla said scientists were producing more genomes to determine if the new coronavirus variant was spreading. In the meantime, there would be no restrictions on travellers from affected countries, such as China…

A MEMBER of the Patriotic Alliance (PA) has been suspended for allegedly assaulting the party’s provincial deputy leader, Sammy Claassen, after a meeting in Saldanha Bay last week. In a matter that has been reported to the police, Claassen alleged that he was first threatened by Melvin Petersen when he tried to remove him from the meeting. “It was a closed meeting called by the West Coast regional executive committee (REC) in Saldanha Bay. While I was busy addressing the meeting I saw someone from Malmesbury, who is not a leader but a member of the PA. “I called him to order as he was not supposed to be part of the meeting. “I walked to the parking lot and as I was trying to get into my car this…

STAFF at the embattled University of Fort Hare (UFH) have come out to express their frustration and fear, saying they were “immensely affected” by the assassination attempt on vice-chancellor Professor Sakhela Buhlungu, which saw his executive protection officer killed. Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande and Police Minister Bheki Cele’s visit today to address the community was long overdue, they said. They want to hear immediate measures that will guarantee security and a safe academic year. Buhlungu's bodyguard Mboneli Veseli was killed in a hail of bullets outside the professor’s Alice campus residence last Friday. Nzimande and Cele will also visit the Vesele family residence. Nzimande's spokesperson, Ishmael Mnisi, said the minister intended to consult various stakeholders, which includes the university council, executive management, trade unions and the SRC in…

WHAT a shame that one of the most noble relief organisations, Gift of the Givers, was burgled and ransacked of items reserved for the most vulnerable sectors in our society. A meritorious award was bestowed upon the Gift of the Givers relief organisation recently. Their website reflects their humanitarian vision, viz “Actively living our values is critical in all that we do. “Our organisation is positioned as a respectful guardian of hope and a protector of dignity and, therefore, the manner in which we deal with all people, irrespective of race, religion or gender is about respect and being the provider of hope. “Our organisation’s guiding principle is that ‘best among people are those who serve mankind’, and this is the sentiment behind everything we do.” Thankfully, information supplied by…

IT HAS recently come to my attention that many financially challenged parents in our communities are unable to afford the current demands placed upon them for school stationery items that need to be purchased at department stores and commercial stationers. This is a very real concern in a climate of high unemployment and ridiculous prices of basic needs like food, clothing and housing. A large percentage of our learners at regular government schools come from single-parent homes, where often the parent has to provide for more than one child attending school. Often the parent has to pay rent, buy food, pay for travelling with a very limited income or even with a state grant. This issue needs to be addressed urgently. The unreasonable costs of basic education in South Africa…

A QUICK visit by Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi to four areas recently ravaged by shack fires was met with anger by some Khayelitsha residents. Kubayi joined Human Settlements mayco member Malusi Booi who conducted inspections yesterday, starting in Dunoon, moving on to Masiphumelele and Town Two in Khayelitsha, and ending in Phola Park, Philippi. In Dunoon, where 120 families were left destitute, Kubayi was not only shocked to find that residents had rebuilt their shacks with no space or passages between them, but that some were paying R800 in rent to landlords, some of whom were not from the area. “We will force reblocking. It has to be be forced because tomorrow another fire in this community might happen and, just like the last time, all 120 shacks will…

WHEN it comes to teaching young children about the world, parents may feel that some topics – like politics and religion – are too tough to broach. Money is another. Parents may not feel like they know how to approach the subject, or worry that they don’t set a good financial example for their kids. But money talk shouldn’t be avoided. Talking about it is the first stepping stone towards financial knowledge and, ultimately, to financial independence. Holding off the conversations for too long can leave your children in the lurch later in life. For instance, in South Africa, only 42% of adults are financially literate. In Ghana the figure is 32% and in Nigeria it’s 26%. This means a large number of adults in these countries do not know…

Yerevan: Armenia will not host Russian-led military exercises this year, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said yesterday, signalling growing frustration with Moscow. Pashinyan’s announcement comes after the leader of the ex-Soviet republic criticised the work of Russian peacekeepers in the South Caucasus, which has been plagued for decades by fighting between Armenia and neighbouring Azerbaijan where tension persists over their borders. The conflict claimed more than 6 500 lives and ended with a truce that saw Yerevan cede territories it had controlled for decades and Moscow send peacekeepers to Karabakh. |…

HELSINKI: A Finnish court of appeal began hearing an international war crime case yesterday in which a Sierra Leonean man is charged with murders, rapes and other atrocities during the Liberian civil war between 1999 and 2003, the court said. Prosecutors believe the suspect Gibril Massaquoi, 53, murdered, raped and mutilated civilians while he was in the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). The RUF was an insurgent group that fought in Sierra Leone but also in Liberia for its ex-president Charles Taylor. Last year, Massaquoi was acquitted of all charges by a lower Finnish court. But the prosecutors took the case to Turku court of appeal. |…

Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah movement yesterday condemned cartoons of Iran’s supreme leader published last week by the French weekly Charlie Hebdo, and called on Paris to punish the satirical magazine. The magazine said the caricatures of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were published in support of protests in Iran sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, after her arrest for an alleged breach of the country’s strict dress code for women. Hezbollah, Tehran’s close ally, called on “the French government to take firm measures to punish the perpetrators of this act, who attacked what is sacred and flouted the dignity of an entire nation”. Following the publication of the cartoons on Wednesday, Iran summoned the French ambassador to Tehran and closed a research institute affiliated with France’s foreign ministry. |…