Tabla de contenidos para 2023-07-03 en Cape Times

THE Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) is appealing to communities to ensure that initiates only use registered schools and report unregistered ones. This after three men who allegedly recruited unsuspecting young boys to join an initiation school outside Mahikeng were arrested for running an unregistered facility last week. About 40 initiates between the ages of 15 and 20 were rescued by police. The three suspects were arrested after parents reported their children missing at the Mahikeng and Lehurutshe police stations. Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM) in the North West provincial interim committee convenor Pastor Lesiba Kgwele called on traditional leaders to continuously monitor initiation schools to curb the problem. Kgwele added that initiation is supposed to be a healthy, safe, positive learning and bonding experience, and a portal…

THE Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) has dismissed suggestions that poor investigations were the cause of the high number of cases that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) declined to prosecute. Last week, the Cape Times reported that the NPA decided to prosecute only 53 cases that were referred to it by the police watchdog body in the financial year ending in March. Ipid, which is mandated to probe criminal offences allegedly committed by SAPS officers and metro police, made 2 093 referrals to the NPA in 2022-23. The prosecuting body declined to prosecute 684 referrals, nine cases were withdrawn and 1 347 referrals were still waiting for responses. Opposition parties had slammed the “alarming” figures of the NPA’s refusal to prosecute and blamed it on poor investigations by Ipid.…

CALM returned to Zwelihle in Hermanus at the weekend following unrest and alleged xenophobic threats after a foreign national was taken-in for questioning in connection with the discovery of a young woman's body. The unrest broke out on Wednesday and continued for the next two days with some residents allegedly turning on foreign nationals residing in the area after a Malawian man was taken by the police. Police spokesperson FC Van Wyk said Hermanus police registered a murder case for investigation after the body of an unknown woman believed to be in her twenties was found in Still Street on Wednesday. He said circumstances leading to the incident were the subject of a police investigation. “We can confirm that an adult male was taken in for questioning. The investigation continues,”…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa may be justified in his gripe against his critics for their suggestion that he “is not fully engaged with his job and the task of leading South Africa”. His spokesperson in a media briefing on June 28 defiantly reminded us that “the president remains deeply motivated with leading reforms aimed at resolving the many (difficult) challenges facing our country, particularly on the economic front”. On the international front he seems to have found a second wind leading an African peace mission to Ukraine and Russia, and attending the annual St Petersburg Economic Summit, preceded by an official visit to Switzerland and attending the New Global Financing Pact Summit in Paris where he also had bilateral talks on the sideline with several leaders, including President Lula da Silva…

The French government said yesterday that hundreds more had been arrested in a fifth night of rioting sparked by the police killing of a 17-year-old, as police deployed reinforcements to flashpoint cities around the country. Protesters, mostly minors, have torched cars, damaged infrastructure and clashed with police in an outpouring of rage since an officer shot Nahel M point blank as he allegedly attempted to flee a traffic stop on Tuesday last week. The killing was captured on video, which spread on social media and fuelled anger over police violence against minorities, exposing severe racial tensions in France. A day after Nahel was laid to rest in his home town near Paris, the interior ministry said police had made 719 arrests overnight, after about 1 300 the previous night. About…

A Thai elephant gifted to Sri Lanka two decades ago arrived back in its birth country yesterday, following a diplomatic spat over alleged mistreatment. Thai authorities had gifted the 29-year-old Muthu Raja to Sri Lanka in 2001. But they demanded the elephant back last year after allegations that it was tortured and neglected while kept at a Buddhist temple. The 4 000kg mammal arrived in Thailand on a cargo plane. It was covered in abscesses when it was rescued from the Buddhist temple last year, said a zoo in Colombo, where it stayed. Welfare groups said it had been forced to work with a logging crew and that its wounds, some allegedly inflicted by its handler, had been neglected. | AFP…

HUDACO Industries, which imports and distributes branded automotive, industrial and electronic consumer products, reported an 8.1% increase in headline earnings per share to 926 cents in the six months to May 31. The interim dividend was raised 8.3% to 325c. Revenue increased 12.4% to R4.25 billion, and operating profit was up 2.8% to R465 million. Operating profit was “a respectable number” considering the difficult trading conditions, which were impacted by load shedding and include the December, January and April holidays. “Bank borrowings at R1.09bn are up R234m in May 2022, primarily because of the increased cost of inventory from rand weakness and because we have made a more significant investment in inventories in our growth sector businesses,” the group said. Trading generated cash of R581m, of which…

IF COMPANIES can successfully vet their employees and board members, why can a media outfit not do the same? AmaBhungane proudly presents itself as a so-called centre for investigative journalism, but could not uncover the fact that its chairperson, Professor Tawana Kupe, had been found guilty of sexual harassment while acting as deputy vice-chancellor and vice-principal at the University of Witwatersrand in 2016. Of even greater concern is a statement made by Caroline James, Advocacy Co-ordinator at AmaBhungane, during an interview on ChaiFM. She said: “I think it is an example of information that is of public interest beyond being interesting to the public, and I just need to make that distinction. But I think this information has now been brought into the public sphere by other media outlets, and…

from page 1 delivered on Thursday. Victor thanked the donor “for blessing me with the entire system, God bless you abundantly”, she said. Her daughter, Samantha said her mother had a renewed sense of hope for life and was even cooking again. “My mom got up last night and she made supper. “Today, I walked into the house, and something smelled like my mom’s food, I thought that can’t be, the spaghetti was done, what’s happening here? She’s on a whole vibe like she used to be. We are very happy, I can see the total change in my mom. “Everything was paid for, it’s like a miracle. Mom was even dancing, she was happy. She could easily go through a four-hour load shedding no problem. “This changed our entire…

New low as SA football scores own goal as women’s national team clashes with Safa THE reputation of South African football dropped to a new, all-time low yesterday as the Fifa Women’s World Cup-bound Banyana Banyana squad clashed with Safa, resulting in them skipping their send-off match. The South African senior women's national team and African champions were scheduled to play neighbours Botswana at the Tsakane Stadium in Brakpan, Ekurhuleni. However, as early as Saturday, news broke from within the Banyana camp that the team selected for the World Cup expressed a resolution to not partake in the match, citing several reasons. It is understood that the 23 player strong squad – plus three on standby – were displeased at being required to take to the low-quality pitch at the…

Environment enthusiasts and residents living around Zeekoevlei and Rondevlei came together on Saturday to remove large amounts of litter from the Little Lotus River canal. The clean-up initiative was spearheaded by community-based non-profit organisation, Friends of Zeekoevlei and Rondevlei (FOZR), to support the nature reserve authorities in safeguarding the threatened flora and fauna that call this corner of the Cape Flats their home. About three truckloads of litter were removed, including tyres, TV parts, toilets and heaps of plastics, and the volunteers were assisted by more than 30 touring school children from the town of Rehoboth in Namibia. FOZR said the Lotus River catchment areas traverse regions notorious for generating substantial amounts of litter. “This pervasive issue has significant consequences for the environment, as litter makes its way into the…

A PAARL farm owner is in a stable condition after she was allegedly assaulted by suspects stealing fruit from her property at the weekend. It is alleged the woman saw the suspects loading trolleys full of ripe fruit on Saturday. She allegedly went to confront them and was hit on the head with a stick. The woman’s husband said she managed to stumble home and was rushed to hospital where she had stitches on her head. “She has been released from hospital and she is recovering well at home. We have a problem with fruit theft in this area. These incidents have happened and have never gotten this far,” he said. Drakenstein Farm Watch who were first on the scene detained the suspects who were still in the area. Police…

New lions can build the kind of future we all deserve NELSON Mandela (Madiba), the father of our democracy here in South Africa, was an iconic leader who not only transformed the country, but inspired the world. He left an indelible mark through his unwavering commitment to justice, compassion, and forgiveness. Today, as South Africa faces increasing challenges, it is crucial to revisit Mandela’s teachings and recognise the profound benefits of incorporating his principles into contemporary leadership. By emphasising the importance of doing good, leaders can inspire positive change for the country whether in business, at home or in the community. Much of Mandela’s leadership philosophy, from my perspective at least, revolved around the belief that doing good is not only a moral imperative, but is also an effective strategy…

Five people have been killed and 11 injured after suspected jihadists fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a town in north-east Nigeria’s Borno state, two anti-jihadist militia commanders said yesterday. Scores of fighters attempted to invade the town of Damboa late on Friday but met stiff resistance from the anti-jihadist militia, a paramilitary outfit that works alongside the armed forces, the militia said. The attack is the latest in Nigeria’s 14-year jihadist conflict in the northeast, where 40 000 have died and more than 2 million have been displaced by the fighting since 2009. The five dead victims were buried on Saturday while the injured were flown to the regional capital Maiduguri aboard a helicopter for medical attention, said Ibrahim Liman, a second militia commander. Nigeria’s army, whose troops were…

Tel Aviv: Israelis protested again at the weekend against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed judicial reform plans, days after he said he had dropped a key provision in the controversial project. The demonstrators have kept up the pressure with weekly rallies against Netanyahu, who returned to power last December as the head of a coalition with ultra-Orthodox Jewish and extreme-right parties. As they have done every Saturday for months, protesters thronged the heart of Israel’s commercial capital Tel Aviv. The two main opposition leaders, Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz, said they were pulling out of negotiations on the reform plan. | AFP…

INVESTEC, which has committed to end funding for coal, oil and gas as well as thermal coal projects in the next 12 years, is set to ask shareholders to remove a “bonus cap” on executive remuneration after paying CEO Fani Titi up to R175 million for the year to the end of March. Investec’s dirctors are remunerated in Pound and as per the annual report released on Friday, Titi’s remuneration increased from £4.3 million (R102.6m) to £7.5m. This makes Titi the highest paid CEO for a South African financial services company. The higher remuneration for Titi followed on the company’s stronger revenue outturn and profitability after it “successfully navigated a complex macro-economic” backdrop. Investec reported a 21.6% growth in adjusted operating profit which amounted to £835.9m, yielding a…

THE City is still assessing the damage and costs attached after heavy rainfall resulted in several areas, including informal settlements, flooding. Disaster Risk Management Centre (DRMC) spokesperson Charlotte Powell said that work to alleviate the impacts of the adverse weather has been ongoing since the first cold front made landfall earlier in June. “The continued rainfall has slowed down progress in terms of dealing with impacts like flooded roads, power outages and uprooted trees, amongst others, but the work continues. Where possible, the City’s Roads and Infrastructure Management Services is providing filling materials to assist with the elevation of dwellings’ floor levels, and equipment and resources to clear drainage channels . This is also to allow pathways for water flow out of affected areas. The Human Settlements Informal Settlement Management…

POLITICAL parties planning to challenge the findings of Acting Public Protector Koleka Gcaleka’s report into the Phala Phala saga concerning President Cyril Ramaphosa, have a leg to stand. This is according to political analysts, following the African Transformation Movement (ATM), ActionSA and the DA announcing legal action to challenge the findings which cleared Ramaphosa of any wrongdoing in terms of the Executive Ethics Code and abuse of his power. Among others, the PP’s report into the matter found: “The allegation that the President abused his power in utilising state resources by causing the PPS to be deployed to Phala Phala farm and to investigate a housebreaking with the intent to steal and theft at the said farm, is not substantiated. The allegation that the President improperly and in violation of…

A FATHER of two minor children, who “purposely resigned” from his job as an accountant in an attempt to renege on paying maintenance fees, has been ordered to pay R20 000 each month. During court proceedings a list of recommendations, in two comprehensive reports, were submitted by a social worker and the Office of the Family advocate. The parents of the children, aged 17 and 12, and who had divorced in 2010, said they would abide by the recommendations made by a social worker where the children have been placed in the primary care of the mother and both parents should participate in mandatory co-parenting intervention to assist them to “effectively resolve their conflict, work towards effective communication and learn to always focus on the best interest”. Further to this…

THE Stellenbosch University (SU) Council has unanimously moved to reject the motion calling for Vice-Chancellor Professor Wim de Villiers to be dismissed after an investigation into nepotism found that he did not breach a rule or policy of the University. A council committee of three persons led by retired Justice Carole Lewis was established in May to probe possible breach of rules after De Villiers used his rector's discretionary placements (RDP) for relatives. The vice-chancellor had apparently attempted to use the RDP to secure a place for his wife’s nephew at the institution's medical school, despite some applicants having better academic results. The SU Council met on Friday where the council committee’s findings were presented, which stated there was no serious misconduct by De Villiers warranting removal from office. “When…

THE continued closure of some of Durban’s biggest beaches is a big blow for tourism and a missed opportunity for eThekwini Municipality to showcase its achievements following the April 2022 devastating floods. On Tuesday the municipality announced that uMhlanga Main and Bronze beaches were safe for swimming, only to issue another statement later indicating that both beaches had been closed due to the recent heavy rains. The beaches had been closed the previous week following a pump failure at the Portland Pump Station. While the municipality has been quick to describe the latest situation as “a normal occurrence after heavy rains”, it is clear that the City does not have the situation under control. Is the municipality suggesting that Durban residents should be accepting of a situation where beaches are…

At least two people were killed and 28 wounded in a mass shooting at a street party early yesterday in the US city of Baltimore, police said. Police received multiple calls about a shooting in Brooklyn. One 18-year-old woman was found dead at the scene in the East Coast port city, and a 20-year-old man died after being taken to hospital. The wounded were being treated at area hospitals, with three of them in critical condition. Police said authorities were working to identify a suspect and determine a motive for the shooting. “This is an extensive crime scene, our detectives are going to be here quite a while.” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott condemned the shooting. “It again highlights the impacts and the need to deal with the over-proliferation of…

KHARTOUM: The Sudan Civil Aviation Authority has extended the closure of the country’s airspace until July 10, the Khartoum International Airport said, amid violent clashes between Sudan’s regular armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group. The civil aviation authority said that Sudan’s airspace would be closed to all flights, with the exception of humanitarian and evacuation flights, if a relevant permission is obtained from the competent authorities. The warring parties have called for temporary ceasefires, but the conflict has not been settled yet. Sudan has asked for Moscow’s assistance in resolving the conflict in the North African country. | Sputnik…

Novak Djokovic has Roger Federer's record of eight Wimbledon titles, as well as a 24th Major, in his sights as he closes in on a first calendar Grand Slam in 54 years. Fresh from breaking out of a tie with Rafael Nadal for 23 Slams at the French Open, the 36-year-old Djokovic will comfortably be the overwhelming favourite at the All England Club when he starts his title defence today. With a 10th Australian Open and third Roland Garros already wrapped up this season, an eighth Wimbledon triumph would leave Djokovic needing just the US Open in September to emulate Rod Laver's sweep of all four majors in 1969. "He takes your legs, then he takes your soul, then he digs your grave and you have a funeral and you're…