Tabla de contenidos para 2023-03-16 en Cape Times

THE COMPETITION Tribunal yesterday heard public interest and unfair competition concerns around the merger of Manta Bidco and Mediclinic International, the two large medical industry firms. This after South African Competition Commission approved the merger with conditions. Bidco is incorporated in England and Wales and is a joint venture controlled by Remgro Healthcare Holdings and SAS Shipping Agencies Services, while Mediclinic, incorporated in the UK, has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and secondary listing on the JSE and Namibian Stock Exchanges. The deal was announced in 2022 with a £3.7 billion price tag (around R82bn currently), However, Section 27, a public interest law centre, and other interested parties, said yesterday that the Competition Tribunal should enforce conditions stipulated by the Competition Commission and ratified by the…

ALLEGED racial profiling of protesting UCT students by campus protection services guards, and police deployed to quell the unrest, form part of a probe by the university, as it continues to grapple with disruptions on campus. This was among issues UCT management said in a communique to concerned parents, guardians and student sponsors that it was addressing, amid ongoing unrest over fee blocks and financial exclusion. The university’s shuttle service returned to operations yesterday after being withdrawn last week. The demonstrations began last month but ceased after UCT was granted a court interdict. Protests erupted again on Monday after Council refused to lift all fee blocks. On Friday, Public Order Policing was called in to assist campus protection services, following reports of students disrupting classes and attempting to enter Kramer…

Lebogang Molebatsi, general manager of listed equities at the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), said he “had enough comfort” that the proposal was ready for submission to the Portfolio Management Committee (PMC) and further testified that he believed the AYO transaction was a “good investment”. Molebatsi took the stand yesterday at the Western Cape High Court, to give evidence in the case in which the PIC is attempting to recover a R4.3 billion investment it made for a 29% stake in the ICT group when AYO listed on the JSE in December 2017. He said he was not aware of the transaction entered into between former CEO, Dr Dan Matjila and AYO. Nor was he aware of junior analyst Victor Seanie’s meeting with the Group in November 2017. He said he…

Eskom has been granted an exemption from the process required to amend its atmospheric emission licence, subject to certain strict conditions. Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy said the decision was taken to allow Eskom to operate temporary stacks at Kusile Power Station following lost generation capacity.The operation of the stacks is likely to result in increased sulphur dioxide emissions, in excess of the current applicable limit contained in Kusile’s emission licence. “Eskom’s request pertains to a temporary solution to restore lost generation capacity at its Kusile Power Station while a damaged stack undergoes repairs which are due for completion in December 2024. “In the interim, Eskom plans to construct the temporary stacks by November 2023, which it anticipates will allow the resumption of generation capacity of 2…

THE SOUTH African Council for Educators (Sace) has busted a bogus teacher at its headquarters in Centurion, Gauteng, with a fake Unisa Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree. Sace has now issued a warning to the public that it will not hesitate to take action against people presenting fraudulent qualifications. The 26-year-old man from the North West was arrested at the office on Tuesday. According to Sace registration manager Tebogo Mokgoloboto, Lyttleton police were called after it was noticed that the degree was forged. Mokgoloboto said this was the third arrest in two months after two other bogus teachers were found with fake qualifications at the same premises. “Council warns people who have fake qualifications or are in the process of getting one to never come anywhere near Sace premises or…

The absence of a biological link is not a barrier to a father figure approaching a court to apply for co-guardianship of a child. The best interest of the child should always prevail, the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, said. The court upheld the appeal of a man who wanted joint guardianship over his now estranged girlfriend’s six-year-old son. He moved in with the woman when the child was only a year old and they lived together as a family for two years, before they broke up. The man, in his early 50s, said he had formed a bond with the child and would like to have access to the boy. His ultimate goal was to obtain joint custody of the boy, but he agreed that a psychologist should first assess…

Women judges undoubtedly strengthen the legitimacy of courts THE International Day of Women Judges (based on a 2021 UN Resolution) was observed recently (March 10) to promote the full and equal participation of women at all levels of the judiciary. Advocating for the advancement of women in judicial justice systems globally is essential if we want to achieve equality, sustainable development, peace and democracy. This also aligns with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. An important question we must ask ourselves is: What is the current level of representation of women in our country’s justice system, especially in senior leadership positions? Considering the appointment of Deputy Chief Justice Mandisa Maya to the deputy chief justice position in the…

Rescuers scrambled yesterday to reach survivors in Malawi’s battered city of Blantyre after Cyclone Freddy struck southern Africa for a second time, triggering floods and landslides that have killed more than 270 people across two countries. Weather conditions were expected to improve as the storm dissipated over land after days of torrential rains, but localised thunderstorms would persist, and flood levels remained high in some areas, hampering emergency efforts. “The death toll has risen from 190 to 225 with 707 injured and 41 reported missing,” the Malawi disaster management agency said. Red Cross Malawi spokesperson Felix Washon said they had been hoisting people from trees and rooftops. “It’s a challenge to reach them, water is high, and bridges are broken.” Freddy returned to south-eastern Africa at the weekend for a…

Concerned about China’s shrinking population, political advisers to the government have come up with more than 20 recommendations to boost birth rates. China imposed its one-child policy between 1980 and 2015. Authorities raised the limit to three in 2021, but even during the stay at home Covid-19 times couples have been reluctant to have babies. Young people cite high childcare and education costs, low incomes among discouraging factors. The proposals range from subsidies for families raising their first child, rather than just the second and third, to expanding free public education and improving access to fertility treatments. China’s birth rate last year fell to 6.77 births per 1 000 people, from 7.52 births in 2021, the lowest on record. | Reuters…

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s veteran central bank head, Riad Salameh, did not attend a hearing yesterday into accusations of embezzling public money after his lawyer objected to the presence of European investigators, two sources said. The 72-year-old, who has run the bank for six terms spanning 30 years, is being investigated alongside his brother in Lebanon and at least five European countries over accusations of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars. He denies that and says he is being made a scapegoat for Lebanon’s financial crisis. Last year, prosecutors said Salameh was a suspect in a case that led to the freezing of 120 million euros of Lebanese assets abroad. | Reuters…

Brasilia: At least 14 cities in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Norte state have suffered shooting or arson attacks that left one person dead, local authorities said. An organised crime ring known as the Crime Syndicate, which operates widely in the state, were allegedly behind the attacks. The victim died in a clash with security forces, police said, adding that the attacks occurred in the state capital Natal, and more than 10 other cities in the state. The state’s security forces responded to the attacks on a court, two military police stations, a city hall and a bank. Police also reported damage to a motorcycle shop, and vehicles parked on the street and in public lots. | IANS…

COGTA (Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs) Deputy Minister Parks Tau said yesterday that co-operation between all spheres of government would be crucial in executing the disaster management regulations on the energy crisis. “All institutions across the government, for the duration of the declaration of the national state of disaster, within available resources, will adopt energy-saving measures to contain the effects of load shedding and ensure continuation of health facilities, water infrastructure and other essential services,” Tau said. He was responding to questions during the oral question session in the National Assembly. EFF MP Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi enquired about the short- to medium- term interventions that will be introduced after the proclamation of the national state of disaster and the role to be played by Cogta in a bid to put an…

Judge calls process procedurally unfair THE Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works, now known as the Department of Infrastructure, suffered a major blow in the Western Cape High Court when the judge set aside the DA-led government’s decision to award construction company H&I Civil and Building (Pty) Ltd a multimillion-rand tender for the construction of the new Manenberg School of Skills. “As the decision to pass over the applicant (Furipoint (Pty) Ltd) was determined in a procedurally unfair manner; was based on incorrect facts; inconsistent with the threshold requirements of section 217(1) of the Constitution; and arrived at by the department using vague and uncertain criteria, the department's decision to pass over the applicant's bid in relation to tender S054/21 and to accept the tender of the third…

Paul Roos Gymnasium’s Masithethe! isiXhosa Oratory Competition is growing from strength to strength, with the second event set to take place next month. The Masithethe! oratory competition aims to afford high school learners a formal platform to express themselves in isiXhosa through debates and speeches. In 2022, when Paul Roos Gymnasium hosted its first isiXhosa Oratory Competition, eight schools participated with 87 speeches. Organisers of the 2023 competition have announced that speech entries by 11 schools have been submitted. Entries closed yesterday. Paul Roos Gymnasium spokesperson Luna Paige said it was evident that the competition empowered learners. “After witnessing the enthusiasm and passion with which learners participated and expressed themselves in isiXhosa, it was evident that the Masithethe! oratory competition makes a valuable contribution towards the promotion of multilingualism in…

The SOUTH African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has recommended that Stellenbosch University (SU) issue a written public apology to any students who were negatively affected by their residence policies. The university was accused of implementing an English-only policy in some of its residences during the 2021 welcoming period, prompting the DA and Freedom Front Plus (FF+) to lodge a complaint with the SAHRC. In its report, the commission said that it had found that the university violated the rights of Afrikaans-speaking students with the policy. The commission found that the university “unfairly violated the human rights of the affected students to freedom of expression, language and culture, equality and to not be discriminated against on the basis of language, and their human dignity”. It further made the recommendation that SU…

ActionSA, a DA splinter political party formed in 2020 by Herman Mashaba, has been embroiled in a feud between the party leader and the party’s erstwhile Gauteng chairperson, Bongani Baloyi. Baloyi’s departure from the party has been as a result of differences with its founder and leader. Differences between the two leaders began when Mashaba insisted that his party would not, under any circumstances, negotiate with the ANC in hung municipalities. In one of the viral audio clips from last year, he was heard saying: “In the event ‘Actioners’ say to us that we must negotiate with ANC, let me tell you, I, Herman Mashaba, will step aside and let ActionSA operate without me.” Baloyi, on the other hand, has been vocal about his opposition to the politics of “anything…

Uncollected rubbish clogged streets in France’s capital yesterday as unions made an 11th-hour bid to stop a deeply unpopular pensions reform from being passed. Opinion polls show about two-thirds of French people are against the legislation to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64; extend contributions for a full pension and scrap some special privileges for public sector employees. But despite two months of protests and cross-sector strikes, the bill championed by President Emmanuel Macron appears to be on the verge of being pushed through parliament. Several demonstrations kicked off across France yesterday, including in the northern city of Calais and southwestern city of Bordeaux, in a new day of strikes and protests. Police were expecting between 650 000 and 850 000 demonstrators nationwide,…

LAHORE: A Pakistan court ordered police yesterday to suspend an operation to arrest former prime minister Imran Khan, bringing a halt to pitched battles in which police baton-charged supporters of the ex-cricketer and fired water cannon and tear gas. Security forces withdrew from around Khan’s home in the eastern city of Lahore, easing political instability in the nuclear-armed nation which is struggling with an economic crisis and awaiting an International Monetary Fund bailout. The operation to arrest Khan came after a lower court in the capital Islamabad issued a warrant against him for defying orders to go to court over charges that he unlawfully sold state gifts given to him by foreign dignitaries when he was prime minister from 2018-2022. | Reuters…

BOGOTA: An explosion caused by accumulated gas in six adjoining coal mines in central Colombia had killed at least 11 workers and trapped 10 below ground, authorities said yesterday. The explosion took place in a rural area of Sutatausa, about 75km north of Bogota. “People are trapped between 700m and 900m,” Cundinamarca provincial governor Nicola Garcia said, adding that more than 100 rescue workers had joined the search. Two people had already been rescued and seven escaped. The mines were authorised to operate, the national mining agency said. Serious accidents are common at open pit, and subterranean coal and gold mines in Colombia. | Reuters…

THE MANGEMENT at Growthpoint Properties presenting South Africa’s largest primary listed real estate investment trust’s (Reit’s) interims yesterday adopted a tone of caution and defensive stance for the year ahead with muted growth on the horizon. Looking ahead, Growthpoint said, its diversified portfolio, strong balance sheet and stable hard currency dividend income streams position the company defensively for the rest of financial year 2023. “However, with elevated uncertainty in the local and global macroeconomic environment and rising interest rates and inflation, Growthpoint still expects to deliver muted full-year distributable income per share (Dips) growth,” it said. CEO Norbert Sasse, talking about the firm’s interim results for the period ended December 31, 2022, said that it would take about a three- to five-year period for property values to recover. This…

from page 1 made by the bid adjudication committee. Whether they are doing it intentionally or unintentionally, only they know. It is important to note we do request that government departments need to be more vigilant to ensure fairness and transparency when adjudication does take place with tenders.” H&I said it could not comment on the matter, owing to contractual stipulations. The Western Cape Department of Education and the Infrastructure Department did not respond to questions about the status of the project and its current expected completion date, among others. Cape Coloured Congress (CCC) leader Fadiel Adams, meanwhile, called on Premier Alan Winde to conduct a forensic audit into both the bid evaluation and bid adjudication committees. “A cursory glance at the court judgment suggests that high-level employees have made…

PUBLIC Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane believes that the parliamentary inquiry into her fitness to hold public office was “merely a politically motivated witch-hunt” reminiscent of what retired chief justice (CJ) Mogoeng Mogoeng said about investigations by her office that were bound to attract hostile responses. “The prophecy of CJ Mogoeng Mogoeng is coming to fruition because exactly what he said is what I am currently going through,” she said. Mkhwebane made the statement when her legal counsel advocate Dali Mpofu SC led her in her testimony, which is set to run until March 31. Present to lend support to her during the proceeding were her two sisters and husband. Mkhwebane said the inquiry was a “special project” of the DA aimed at scoring political points. “This process has nothing to do…

6kg lamb knuckles 1 packet Royco Brown Onion Soup powder 2kg baby potatoes, cut in half 3kg shallots 1.5kg carrots, diced 1kg green beans, sliced 5 cloves of garlic 500g lamb spice mix 1 litre cooking oil 4 tins chopped tomatoes 2 litres vegetable stock 1 bunch fresh parsley, to garnish Salt and pepper to season In a large bowl start off by mixing Royco Brown Onion Soup in about two litres of vegetable stock or water and set aside. Heat up large potjie pot, toss the lamb in some flour, herbs, lamb spice, salt and pepper. Cook in batches until lightly browned on either sides. Once cooked, add the brown onion soup mix wine, herbs and onions to your potjie along with the lamb and mix well using a…

Front-line conservation organisations joined the private sector and law enforcement in South Africa this week in a conference to tackle illegal wildlife trade across the region. Attended by leaders from government, business, law enforcement and NGOs, the two-day event came hot on the heels of recent commitments from the US Treasury to form a US-South Africa task force to “follow the money” and halt the illegal trade in wildlife. The gathering was hosted by United for Wildlife at Timbavati Private Nature Reserve in partnership with the Global Conservation Corps (GCC) and the Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation. Under the spotlight was the crucial role non-profit, public and private sectors could play in supporting wildlife rangers, Africa’s first line of defence against poachers. The attendees explored the challenges facing conservation efforts…

CAPE Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams has been issued with a cease and desist letter over comments on social media relating to City Manager Lungelo Mbandazayo’s alleged “illegal” cancelling of a tender concerning emergency staircases on the Cape Flats. The matter relates to a multimillion-rand tender fraud and corruption scandal which came to light last year after eight people were arrested, including officials in the DA-led City and directors of local businesses. This was after Adams, joined by anti-crime activist Hanif Loonat, lodged a criminal complaint against City officials over allegations of money laundering, fraud and corruption, and defeating the ends of justice concerning the alleged inflating of invoices, irregular payments of service providers for construction work not undertaken and other illicit activities, in excess of R300 million. The cease…

IF PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to KwaZulu-Natal to launch the ANC’s election campaign was anything to go by, he and his party must brace themselves for what already appears to be a long and bumpy road to next year’s polls. Listening to him addressing the crowds, one was left with the impression that he was repeating a song many have heard for nearly 30 years. It now sounds like a broken record, as it has been repeated so many times with little to no results over the years. In fact, he faced a blockade of burning tyres in Dambuza, Pietermaritzburg, at the weekend, with one protester saying: “What is it he is going to do for us because we have had these promises before?” Ramaphosa, who has previously faced hostile…

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed discussed efforts to reach sustainable peace in Tigray yesterday, Blinken’s spokesperson said, as both sides seek to mend diplomatic ties damaged by the war there. During a two-and-a-half-hour meeting in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, Blinken and Abiy also talked about the importance of accountability for the atrocities perpetrated by all parties during the war, said spokesperson Ned Price. The Ethiopian government and forces from Tigray, a region in the north of the country, signed a peace deal in November, ending a two-year conflict that killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions. “The secretary reiterated US support for efforts by the parties to achieve full implementation of the agreement in order to lay the groundwork for…

Tehran: Eleven people were killed and more than 3 500 injured during celebrations for Iran’s traditional fire festival ahead of the Persian New Year, state media said yesterday. The fire festival is celebrated on the night of the last Tuesday of the Iranian calendar year, which ends on March 20. Since February 20, 26 people have died in incidents related to Chaharchanbe Suri, including at least 11 on the day of the event along with more than 3 550 injured, emergency services said. During the festival, participants jump over bonfires to purify themselves. The festival is part of Iran’s pre-Islamic heritage and frowned upon by the establishment. But it is popular with young people, many of whom make their own fireworks. | AFP…

BEIJING: A Chinese military doctor who exposed the full extent of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) epidemic when it ripped through Beijing in 2003 has died at the age of 91, according to reports. Jiang Yanyong accused the government of deliberately under-reporting the spread of Sars in an open letter in 2003. The disease killed nearly 800 people worldwide. After accusing authorities of covering up Sars in 2003, the Chinese government dismissed several officials and said it would be more transparent about the crisis. Sars infected 8 908 people worldwide after emerging in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, killing 774. | Reuters…

HE may be hanging up his playing boots in June, but Morne Steyn’s kicking boots are going nowhere. In fact, they are likely to remain at Loftus, as the veteran flyhalf says he is in talks with the Bulls to become a kicking coach. The 38-year-old former Springbok pivot announced this week that while he is busy establishing his own MS10 kicking academy, he is hoping to remain involved in the game at the highest level once he retires at the end of the season. And his work will entail much more than just taking shots at goal. “I am in talks to remain involved at the Bulls, specifically as a kicking coach. I’ve often seen with teams that when it gets difficult in matches, you can always see a…

BAFANA Bafana coach Hugo Broos will have a tough time selecting his final squad for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Liberia this month as most of his men are on form. After playing only one game in Group K, losing to log leaders Morocco, Bafana are second in the group, leading third-placed Liberia, who also lost to the Atlas Lions, on goal difference. The three teams are vying for a qualification berth for the continental finals in Ivory Coast next year as Zimbabwe are out of the running following a ban imposed by Fifa. The South Africans could all but secure their spot in the finals as early as this month if they beat Liberia at home, Orlando Stadium, on March 24 and away four days…