Tabla de contenidos para 2023-10-03 en Cape Times

CONSUMERS in South Africa have put the brakes on buying new cars for the second month in a row due to high borrowing costs and rising fuel prices. The Automotive Business Council (Naamsa) said yesterday that the decline in vehicle sales reflected external business factors. According to Naamsa, aggregate domestic new vehicle sales fell by 4.1% in September, or by 1 963 units to 46 021 units, from the 47 984 vehicles sold the same month a year ago. Export sales plummeted by 12.6%, or 5 217 units, to 36 247 units in September, compared to the 41 464 vehicles exported in September 2022. Activity around the buying of new cars usually indicates the strength of consumers’ buying power and prevailing economic conditions potentially…

IN THE ANNALS of white-collar crime, few stories have captured the public's attention quite like that of Markus Jooste, the disgraced former CEO of Steinhoff International Holdings. Accused of engaging in insider trading, Jooste's case serves as a chilling reminder of the consequences of corporate greed. In 2017, Steinhoff, a global retail giant, was rocked by a scandal that wiped billions off its market value. Jooste was at the centre of this storm, accused of orchestrating fraudulent accounting practices and insider trading. While the financial repercussions were massive, the fallout for Jooste personally seemed relatively light: a R20 million penalty imposed by South African regulatory authorities. The financial world was rocked when Jooste breached the Financial Markets Act by sending text messages to select individuals, including Jaap du Toit,…

QUALITY assurance council, Umalusi, has raised the alarm about certificates submitted to it for verification as at least 17% could not be authenticated owing to apparent fraud. The council revealed in its annual report for 2022-23 that the number of verifications made during the year under review totalled 299 262. These included 5114 manual conformations, 275 142 e-verifications and 19 006 full verifications. The verifications completed were 63 274 more than in the 2021-22 financial year. CEO Mafu Rakometsi said one of the uncontrollable challenges for Umalusi was the unlawful sale of the national senior certificate by fraudsters. “This is a threat to the credibility of the qualifications on our sub-framework,” Rakometsi said. He added that in the last two and half years Umalusi verified more than 200 000 qualifications…

THE family of slain police officer Lindela Mraqisa said they have been “failed dismally” by his colleagues after finding out about his death through another victim’s family. The mourning family were paid a visit by Police Minister Bheki Cele and SAPS top brass yesterday after Mraqisa was shot and killed, along with four others, on Saturday evening in Gugulethu. Mraqisa was attached to the Western Cape’s Protection and Security Service (PSS) Division, and had served as a close protector to Deputy Minister Cassel Mathale since 2019. Mraqisa’s brother, Mthobeli Mraqisa, said they were aggrieved by the inefficiencies of the SAPS. “We found out about my brother’s murder on Sunday morning through the family of one of the other victims who was also murdered in the mass shooting. We have been…

As September 12 passed, those of us who are part of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) in occupied Azania/South Africa and everywhere recall the beautiful Stephen (Steve) Bantu Biko, a living giant of Mother Africa. South Africa under the present regime has opted not to honour this great revolutionary with an official holiday, even though the Black Consciousness philosophy and movement was the key in mobilising the black liberation Struggle so that the ANC regime could be the current political rulers in South Africa since 1994. It was Black Consciousness that generated the fearlessness among the youth, women, elders, and workers to struggle for a new day free from colonialist repression, economic exploitation, and centuries of enslavement. The Soweto Insurrection of 1976, the wildcat worker strikes in the 1970s, and…

PEOPLE across South Africa battled with the recent conundrum of avoiding the Covid-19 virus on the outside or die from hunger or violence in their own homes. The socio-economic challenges South Africans faced during the pandemic were only a magnification of the challenges many South Africans grapple with daily. The need for sustainability and sustainable development (SD) cannot be emphasised. As a researcher, I sought to contribute to achieving these through a teacher education professional development programme, which I explored. Teachers were educated and allowed to engage with and develop their content and pedagogical knowledge in science and maths education, which were enshrined by SD. The post-Covid era has illuminated the crucial role of education in reducing inequalities and promoting sustainable growth. Literature is replete with rationales for higher education…

Hungarian scientist Katalin Kariko and US colleague Drew Weissman, who met in line for a photocopier before making mRNA molecule discoveries that paved the way for Covid-19 vaccines, won the 2023 Nobel Prize for Medicine yesterday. “The laureates contributed to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times,” the Swedish award-giving body said in the latest accolade for the pair. The prize, among the most prestigious in the scientific world, was selected by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute medical university and comes with 11 million Swedish crowns (about R19m) to share between them. Kariko, a former senior vice president and head of RNA protein replacement at German biotech firm BioNTech, is a professor at the University of Szeged…

The new head of the UN migration agency yesterday voiced concern that the deaths of migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean were being “normalised” and vowed to work with governments to provide options for economic migration to address the crisis. Former US White House adviser Amy Pope started as head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Sunday at a time of record forced displacement around the world and high political tensions over irregular immigration. An Italian minister and billionaire Elon Musk have criticised Germany for backing charities helping distressed migrants on the world’s most dangerous route, the Mediterranean, where 22 000 people have died or gone missing since 2014. Germany’s foreign ministry defended its policies. Pope said: “Our biggest concern is that the deaths in the Mediterranean have…

Canberra: Multiple warnings were issued yesterday in the Australian state of Victoria after major bushfires broke out and destroyed one house. Residents were advised to prepare for evacuation and monitor further alerts, as a bushfire in Briagolong, Gippsland Region, has not been brought under control with several others still active. The Country Fire Authority confirmed that one residence was ravaged by the Briagolong fire, which erupted on Sunday and has already burnt 5 000ha with a perimeter of 42km. Despite milder weather conditions enabling firefighters to contain flames, the CFA warned Victorians are “not out of the woods”. | IANS…

CHEGUTU: Zimbabwean authorities were still searching yesterday for survivors trapped underground when a disused gold mine collapsed last week, as some relatives started to lose hope their loved ones could be saved. Accidents in disused mines are common in Zimbabwe, where artisanal or small-scale miners defy authorities by mining in old shafts that are prone to collapse. The latest incident happened in Chegutu, some 100kmwest of the capital Harare on Friday. Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga said 13 had died in the collapse at the 700m-deep site which had not been properly sealed off. | AFP…

Although history has taught cricket fans never to write off Australia at a World Cup, sceptics of their chances of winning the trophy for a sixth time in India in November have more than a little ammunition to call on. The decision to allow Travis Head to recuperate from his fractured hand in the first half of the tournament smacks of desperation for the runs the 29-year-old has been providing at the top of the order. “He’s a really important player for us and hopefully when he does come on line and is available, he can have a really big impact for us towards the back end of the tournament,” head selector George Bailey said after naming the final 15-player squad. Head will not be the only player in the…

Kaizer Chiefs coach Molefi Ntseki is content with the players he has at his disposal as management supported the team’s bid to bring back the glory days this season, signing no fewer than 10 players during the transfer window, including South American duo Edson Castillo and Jasond Gonzalez, while Stellenbosch’s former captain Sibongiseni Mthethwa was last to arrive. With the transfer window closed, Chiefs will have to do with what they have and wait until January to try and lure contracted players to the club. But speaking yesterday ahead of their league clash with Cape Town City at FNB Stadium tonight, Ntseki said he was happy with his squad. “I think we are content with what we have. We are happy with the squad, and everybody is competing to be…

Pick n Pay’s share price dropped by more than 13% yesterday on the JSE following the retailer’s posting that it expects to report a loss and that its CEO Pieter Boone would step down. Boone would be replaced by Pick n Pay’s former CEO Sean Summers. In its trading statement for the 26 weeks ended August 2023, the retailer said it expects to report a loss of between 98.18 cents and 79.31c per share, a 184% to 204% decline from the 94.34c earnings per share it had last year. Pick n Pay expects to report a headline loss per share from 149.36c to 129.82c, a 233% to 253% decline. The group said it had experienced a particularly challenging reported period driven by a…

MANAGERS in the manufacturing industry have remained optimistic that the current tough trading conditions will not persist in six months’ time, after conditions deteriorated further at the end of the third quarter. The seasonally adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) remained firmly in contractionary territory as it declined by 4.3 points in September to 45.4 points, down from 49.7 points in August. The PMI, compiled by the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) on behalf of Absa, could raise concerns about the prospects for GDP in the third quarter as the manufacturing sector is one of the two sectors that made a significant positive impact on economic growth in the second quarter. The September reading indicated the eighth consecutive month of contraction in South Africa’s factory activity and…

EFF leader Julius Malema has escaped sanction by Parliament for allegedly breaching the MPs’ code on declaration of financial interests linked to the liquidated VBS Bank funds. The joint committee on ethics and members’ interests is, however, set to recommend that his his deputy Floyd Shivambu’s salary be docked for breaching the code. Yesterday, co-chairpersons Bekizwe Nkosi and Lydia Moshodi said the committee resolved that it was unable to make a finding against Malema. This followed a complaint by DA leader John Steenhuisen in October 2019. “The complaint was based on a media report in the Daily Maverick dated September 8, 2019, and alleged that the member benefited from VBS funds,” they said. Steenhuisen had complained that Malema benefited through Mahuna Investments. He claimed Malema did not disclose the benefit…

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan appeared to be playing his cards close to his chest following the resignations of two Transnet executives including chief executive Portia Derby at the weekend. Asked if Derby was pushed or had jumped, Gordhan said on radio 702 he has been told that she resigned to pursue other interests. He said the board was in the best position to comment on her resignation. In a statement announcing her resignation with effect from October 31, Transnet’s Board of Directors said Derby had steered the company through an extremely challenging period, following on the setting aside of the 1064 locomotive contract which has created a significant binding constraint for Transnet that remains to this day. It also commended her for driving the introduction…

I REFER to the article: “We oppose apartheid Israel”, Cape Times, September 29. A very sad anti-Israel article with undertones of anti-Semitism that was very biased. The learned Archbishop, Thabo Makgoba, has obviously not kept up with geopolitical matters. Twice he states that Gaza is occupied by Israel. Israel gave up control of Gaza in 2005. The alleged Israeli occupation of the so-called West Bank is highly debatable and resulted from the wars in Israel in 1948 and 1967, which were both started by Arab states. The good archbishop uses the apparent distress of Palestinian Christians, of which there must be very few as a population percentage, as a smoke screen to attack Israel. If the archbishop is so concerned with the welfare of Christians, why does he stop at…

Equal Education approached the court to render our collaboration schools model invalid, which would effectively end the ability of these unique schools to deliver high quality, no-fee education to thousands of learners in poor communities in the Western Cape. The court was entirely unconvinced by their challenge, with Judge le Grange, stating that the challenges brought by Equal Education “cannot succeed and fall to be dismissed”. Our collaboration school donors have contributed to the value of over R325 million to our schools to date, a contribution to our education sector that might otherwise not have been made. We are generally seeing a positive trend in systemic test and matric results at these schools, but this is not the only reason the model is valuable. Learners at collaboration schools also benefit…

EFF Supporters joined the provincial shutdown against taxi impoundments yesterday and marched to Ndabeni where impounded taxis were being kept. Protesters started their march near a local shopping complex in Vanguard Estate to Ndabeni where they handed over a memorandum of demands which was signed by the City’s mayco member for urban mobility Rob Quintas. Their demands include that the City release taxis that were “unjustly” impounded, the City issues operating licences speedily, the City scraps all the “exorbitant fines”, cancel the Urban Mobility summit planned for today (Tues) until all the taxis are released and scraps any by-laws that are not in line with the national legislation. EFF secretary-general Marshall Dlamini said: “We are here because of problems faced by black people, our people. “We are calling on the…

I CANNOT help feeling a small surge of gratitude every time a human rights issue breaks the surface, including the spotlight on the environmental crisis engulfing our country as the recent floods and other inclement weathers rip lives apart once more. It feels slightly miraculous that the state of South Africa’s overflowing rivers and waterways and rising sea levels are increasingly becoming an election issue after so many years in which human rights activists advocating for progressive climate change policies have swum against the political flow. The neglect by the government is evident, especially in the municipalities that crucially hold the constitutional responsibility for managing ecosystems, including freshwater, coastal, forest and grassland ecosystems that underpin economic activity and human well-being. The terrifying force of nature unleashed made headlines. It filled…

A combative Donald Trump appeared in a New York court yesterday to face civil fraud charges, denouncing the case as a “sham” intended to torpedo his campaign to retake the White House. The fraud trial, one of several legal battles against the 77-year-old Trump, could potentially see the former president barred from doing business in New York state. “This has to do with election interference, plain and simple,” Trump said as he arrived for the opening day of what could be a three-month trial. “What we have here is an attempt to hurt me in an election.” New York Judge Arthur Engoron has already ruled that Trump and his sons Eric and Don Jr committed fraud by inflating the value of the real estate and financial assets of the Trump…

Armenian separatists from Nagorno-Karabakh said yesterday that their officials would stay in the region after Azerbaijan’s offensive for rescue operations, as Yerevan reported “casualties” in a border shootout with Baku’s forces. Separatist said that over 200 people were killed in fighting Azerbaijan late last month and that a further 170 died when a fuel depot exploded as scores of civilians fled Karabakh over fears of ethnic cleansing. After three decades of Armenian control, the separatist authorities have agreed to disarm, dissolve their government and reintegrate with Azerbaijan in the wake of Baku’s one-day military operation in late September. Almost all of the 120 000 residents of the mountainous region fled after Baku’s offensive. But the separatist government said leader Samvel Shahramanyan would stay in Karabakh’s main city of Stepanakert…

GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday recommended the use of a second malaria vaccine to curb the life-threatening disease spread to humans by some mosquitoes. “Today, it gives me great pleasure to announce that WHO is recommending a second vaccine called R21/Matrix-M to prevent malaria in children at risk of the disease,’ said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus R21/Matrix-M, developed by Britain’s University of Oxford, will be rolled out in some African countries in early 2024 and available mid-2024 in other countries, he said, adding that doses would cost between $2 and $4 (R38 and R76). | Reuters…

LOS ANGELES: Britney Spears’s estranged husband Sam Asghari has accused Donald Trump jr of being a “bully” for mocking the singer. The model/actor came to his ex’s defence after the son of the former US president shared a picture of Britney on Instagram in her heyday captioned: “America Under Trump” and a recent image of her dancing in a bikini holding prop knives with the words: “America Under Biden” – in reference to current US president Joe Biden – under which Trump jr wrote: “Yup”. Asghari hit back: “It’s not okay to be a bully” and tagging Trump jr. | Bang Showbiz…

The Springboks will have their 2019 World Cup-winning outside centre back in the squad this week after confirmation came that star Lukhanyo Am will replace the injured Makazole Mapimpi at the tournament ahead of the quarter-finals. Am, who recently recovered from a knee injury, is fit and the Boks will hope he can hit the ground running when he links up with his teammates. Mapimpi was ruled out of the rest of the tournament yesterday after sustaining an orbital fracture after a head clash with Tongan scrumhalf Augustine Pulu in the Boks’ 49-18 win on Sunday. With the victory, the reigning world champions currently sit atop Pool B. Ireland face Scotland on Saturday to determine who will progress to the quarter-finals. All three teams still have a chance, but the…

Newly-appointed Cape Town Spurs technical director Sean Connor will assume the interim coach role as the club continue with their search for a new man in charge. Spurs “parted ways” with Shaun Bartlett yesterday morning following a poor run of results. Spurs have lost all seven matches in the Premiership – a run that has seen them score only four goals and concede a whooping 15 as they are bottom of the league standings. That was not the start the club had in mind, having extended Bartlett’s contract at the start of the season. “We have mutually agreed to the termination of the head coach’s contract with immediate effect,” the club said on their social media account. The club thanked Bartlett for his contribution over the last few months, which…

PICK N PAY’S newly appointed CEO Sean Summers intends to focus on turning around the core retail business of the grocery group. A trading statement released yesterday said the group expected to report a loss of between 98.18 cents and 79.31c per share, a 184% to 204% decline, from the 94.34c earnings per share it generated last year. This on the same day as the retailer announced that group CEO Pieter Boone was stepping down, and would be replaced by former CEO Sean Summers. The surprise change of CEO and forecast of a headline loss per share saw the group’s share price slump by 14.95% to close at R31.47 on the JSE yesterday. Speaking to Business Report, Summers said: “It’s common cause that Pick n…

THE WESTERN Cape’s agricultural sector has been hard hit by heavy rains – the province accounts for more than two-thirds of South Africa’s winter crops and a large share of wine grapes and various horticulture products. The Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) said yesterday that the rainfall peak was around Bredasdorp in the Southern Overberg region. Agbiz chief economist Wandile Sihlobo said significant damages to farm infrastructure, electricity supply and road networks were reported in various small farming towns of the province, mainly the southern areas. “Still, the impact of the floods on wine grapes and table grapes remains unclear as industry horticulturalists continue assessing the fields. We have seen anecdotal evidence of damages in some storage facilities and crop fields in the southern regions. “Another challenge caused by wet soils…

TEACHER regulatory body, the South African Council of Educators (Sace) said it has observed an influx of complaints against teachers in the first quarter of the 2022-23 financial year, with the majority being assault of pupils, followed by sexual misconduct. This emerged in the entity’s annual report tabled in Parliament where Sace reported that it received a total of 734 cases and investigated 254 misconduct complaints against educators. The number dropped from the 764 cases Sace received of the breach of the code of professional ethics by educators in the prior year. CEO Mapula Ella Mokgalane said although Sace received fewer cases than in 2021-22, the council observed with concern the nature of the cases. “The majority of them were for the assault of learners followed by sexual misconduct and…

‘Premature’ remarks causing harm to industry THE City has defended its position that the fire at the Vodacom Building in Century City earlier this year was started by solar panels, despite an outcry that safety and security JP Smith’s remarks were made “prematurely” and caused harm over concerns among potential investors in solar energy. The City’s view was based on initial observations of the July 9 incident. “Upon arrival of the first crews, it was discovered that the solar panels on the roof had caused the rooftop to catch fire. This incident is the latest of such fires being caused by alternative energy installations, as those in the corporate and residential sectors battle to mitigate the effects of large-scale rolling blackouts. Ironically, it was just a week back that we…

I READ with interest the leader in yesterday’s Cape Times. I have to disagree a bit regarding how ill-prepared we are to deal with disasters. Maybe in other provinces e.g. KwaZulu-Natal, which certainly took the brunt of flooding and storms last year and are still waiting for help in a lot of areas. But here in the Cape we were all warned timeously that the mother of all storms was coming. Some people closed their businesses, the rest of us battened down the hatches. We were told not to go out unless really necessary. But I don’t think anyone realised how destructive this storm would be. Water is totally unpredictable and as bad as fire for destroying everything in its path. Looking at video footage it is unbelievable to see…

SAFETY-related incidents including vandalism of the railway system have seen an increase, with about 8 600 incidents reported in the last year, according to the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR). The regulator provided the Cape Times with a glimpse of its upcoming 2022/2023 report, expected to be released later this month. It will cover the period April 2022 until March this year. RSR Chief Executive Mmuso Selaledi spoke yesterday during the official opening of the International Rail Safety Council (IRSC) conference themed “Reshaping railways in an uncertain world” at the Century City Conference Centre. The conference covers topics such as demand based technology interventions and improving safety performance through digitalisation, and will conclude on Friday. “In the rail space we report on two categories which are operational, also known as accidents,…

As the 2023 matric exams approach, the Department of Basic Education must employ every available measure to prevent the leakage of exam papers, which could jeopardise the overall integrity of the process. Although Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has reassured the public that strategies are already in place to combat exam leaks, the department must collaborate with relevant government agencies to thoroughly address any potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited. During a recent media briefing, Motshekga emphasised the importance of safeguarding the National Senior Certificate, because, in the age of technology, a leaked paper from one province can easily spread to others, making investigations challenging. The advent of technology, particularly through social media, has made it increasingly difficult to contain exam leaks, posing significant threats to the exam process and…

Türkiye said it unleashed air strikes on militant targets in northern Iraq and detained suspects in Istanbul overnight, hours after Kurdish militants said they orchestrated the first bomb attack in the capital Ankara in years. On Sunday morning, two attackers detonated a bomb near government buildings in Ankara, killing them both and wounding two police officers. The outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group claimed responsibility. The defence ministry said many militants were “neutralised”, a term mostly used to mean killed, in air strikes that destroyed 20 targets – caves, shelters and depots used by the PKK in Iraq’s Metina, Hakurk, Qandil and Gara regions. Türkiye has stepped up military action against the PKK in northern Iraq over the past few years in operations it says are conducted under self-defence…

KAMPALA: Uganda’s Constitutional Court yesterday took a first step toward hearing a challenge to an anti-gay law that rights activists and Western governments have denounced as draconian. The Anti-Homosexuality Act, signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni in May, is one of the world’s harshest anti-gay laws and punishes some same-sex acts with the death penalty. Lawyers in the case met before the court registrar and agreed to reconvene on October 12, when the matter will be forwarded to the court’s judges to set a hearing date, said Nicholas Opiyo, an attorney for the organisations contesting the law. At least six people have been charged under the law so far. | Reuters…

MANCHESTER: British finance minister Jeremy Hunt said yesterday that he would tighten banking rules to make sure customers could not have their accounts closed just because others disagree with their political views. The practice known as “debanking” became a political issue after former Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage said his account at private bank Coutts, part of NatWest, had been closed due to his political positions. An internal bank document unearthed by Farage showed the decision was partly taken over his views. Banks will now have to give customers a “clear, tailored explanations” for why an account had been closed. | Reuters…

LONDON: Live Aid, the transatlantic concert that raised millions for famine relief in Ethiopia, is being turned into a stage musical that will premiere at London’s Old Vic next year, the theatre said yesterday. Organised by rockers Bob Geldof and Midge Ure almost 40 years ago, Live Aid was watched by an estimated 1.5 billion people. “If this musical encourages just one person to have a positive impact for the better, then it will be a job well done,” Geldof said. “I’m looking forward to seeing it ... it better not be s**t!” Just For One Day, written by author John O’Farrell and directed by Luke Sheppard, will run at The Old Vic from January 26 to March 30, 2024. The Band Aid Charitable Trust will get 10% from the…

New Zealand 321/6 Conway 78, Latham 52; Ngidi 3/33, Jansen 3/45 South Africa 211/4 De Kock 84*, Van der Dussen 51; Boult 2/20, Santer 1/29 New Zealand win by sevens runs on the DLS Method Despite losing their warm-up yesterday following rain ending the match in the 37th over of South Africa’s chase, the Proteas will take away lessons from their time out on the park against New Zealand after spending over a week in India without any action. In the build-up to yesterday’s warm-up match, coach Rob Walter emphasised their intention to use the game for the benefit of the team and to polish off areas they felt needed work. One particular area that needed attention was the bowling unit getting time on the legs before Saturday’s World Cup…

Bowling has traditionally been Pakistan's strong suit but since that is unlikely to be the case in India, the onus will be on their batters, skipper Babar Azam in particular, to drive their bid for a second 50-over World Cup title. Pakistan were the No 1 ODI side a month ago and Babar's team looked favourites as they began their campaign in the recent Asia Cup. Defeats by arch-rivals India and Sri Lanka in the tournament not only knocked them off the perch, however, but also left them with new concerns. Pace spearhead Naseem Shah injured his bowling shoulder against India and was ruled him of the World Cup disrupting his potent new-ball partnership with Shaheen Afridi. Hasan Ali was drafted in but Pakistan will rely, to a large extent,…

Winless Tonga will bow out of the World Cup hopeful of a victory in their final Pool B match against Romania as coach Toutai Kefu pleaded for more competition against tier-one nations. The Tongans, bolstered by the inclusion of former All Blacks such as Charles Piutau, Augustine Pulu and Malakai Fekitoa, as well as ex-Wallaby Adam Coleman, have suffered three heavy defeats in their opening games in France. After losing 59-16 to world No 1 ranked side Ireland, they went down to a 45-17 loss to Scotland, ranked fifth, before running out of steam in a 49-18 defeat by defending champions the Springboks in Marseille on Sunday. “We’re tracking in the right way, which means we’ll have our best game next week, and then the tour’s over,” said Kefu, who…