Tabla de contenidos para 2024-03-15 en Cape Times

THE Kariega community remains on high alert following the kidnapping of Sonam Gajjar, the wife of a prominent local businessman, on Wednesday, while the Hawks have taken over the investigation. According to police, Gajjar drove out of her yard in Mosel Road in Kariega and while waiting for the gate to close behind her, was accosted by four males. Eastern Cape police spokesperson Priscilla Naidu said Gajjar’s driver’s side window was smashed and she was dragged out of her car and shoved into a waiting white Hyundai. The vehicle sped off in the direction of Motherwell. Provincial Hawks spokesperson Yolisa Mgolodela said yesterday that Gajjar was still missing and the matter was under investigation. Just last month the Hawks’ Kidnapping Task Team arrested a suspect in Kariega believed to be…

TWO of the seven men accused of the 2023 murders of Kiernan (AKA) Forbes and chef Tebello Motsoane started their bail applications in the Durban Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Lindokuhle Thabani Mkhwanazi and Siyanda Eddie Myeza intend to plead not guilty. Mkhwanazi and Myeza appeared in court alongside Lindani Zenzele Ndimande, Mziwethemba Harvey Gwabeni and Lindokuhle Lindo Ndimande, whose lawyers said they were not ready to proceed with their bail applications. The extradition procedure involving the remaining two accused in Eswatini is ongoing. During the proceedings it was revealed that Mkhwanazi and Myeza had been out on bail in other cases. Mkhwanazi, in his affidavit read out by his attorney, advocate Simphiwe Mlotshwa, said there was no evidence that linked him to Forbes’ murder. “If you look at the timelines…

Timeboxing Marc Zao-Sanders Loot.co.za (R299) Here’s why Marc Zao-Sanders’s book Timeboxing is worth your time. Grabbing a copy of Zao-Sanders’s book came with some scepticism – I wasn’t expecting much. In the back of my mind, I thought, yet another book on productivity that will gather dust on the shelves in bookstores. However, Zao-Sanders surprised me with his practical take on time management. What struck me most about Timeboxing is the focus on habit formation. For those familiar with the likes of Atomic Habits by James Clear or The 5 am Club by Robin Sharma, Zao-Sanders’s ideas will be common ground. Like Clear and Sharma, he champions the power of incremental progress and the importance of developing the right mindset for personal development. However, there’s a twist to Zao-Sanders’s approach.…

Onion Tears Shubnum Khan Loot.co.za (R167) Pan Macmillan Khadeejah is a hard-working and stubborn first-generation Indian woman who longs for her beloved homeland and often questions what she is doing on the tip of Africa. At 37, her daughter, Summaya, is struggling to reconcile her South African and Indian identities, while Summaya’s daughter, eleven-year-old Aneesa, has some difficult questions of her own. Is her mother lying to her about her father’s death? Why won’t she tell her what really happened? Gradually, the past merges with the present as the novel meanders through their lives, uncovering the secrets people keep, the words they swallow and the emotions they elect to mute. For this family, faintly detectable through the sharp spicy aromas that find their way out of Khadeejah’s kitchen, the scent…

Starship, the world’s most powerful rocket, flew further and faster than ever before during its third test flight yesterday, although it was eventually lost as it re-entered the atmosphere over the Indian Ocean, SpaceX said. Lift-off from the company’s Starbase in Texas came around 8.25am local time and was carried live on a webcast that was eventually watched by more than 3.5 million people on social media platform X. The mega rocket is vital to Nasa’s plans for landing astronauts on the moon later this decade – and Elon Musk’s hopes of eventually colonising Mars. Two prior attempts have ended in spectacular explosions, although that’s not necessarily a bad thing: The company has adopted a rapid trial-and- error approach in order to accelerate development, and the strategy has brought success…

A US government weather forecaster projects El Niño conditions will likely end by spring this year but saw a 62% chance that a weather pattern characterised by unusually cold temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, La Nina, will develop during June-August. The ongoing El Niño weather pattern will continue to fuel above-average temperatures across the globe, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said last week. Last year’s El Niño, which followed three La Nina years, saw hot and dry weather in Asia and heavier rains in parts of the Americas that boosted farm output prospects in Argentina and the southern US Plains. The high probability of a strong La Nina arriving this year has put grains farmers on alert in Argentina, where the climate phenomenon usually brings dry weather with lower rainfall.…

Istanbul: The killing of a stray cat in Istanbul has triggered petitions, protests and death threats, pushing the president to intervene and the courts to retry the culprit. On January 1, Ibrahim K was caught on a security camera in the lobby of the building where he lived kicking to death a stray cat named Eros that his neighbours fed. He was sentenced in early February to 18 months in jail but released for good behaviour, sparking indignation among animal welfare groups and a section of the public in Türkiye, whose large stray cat population is often fed and sheltered. About 320 000 people signed an online petition demanding a stiffer sentence. The judges increased his sentence by one year. | AFP…

Paris: France’s President Emmanuel Macron decorated the world’s richest man, Bernard Arnault, at a star-studded ceremony that included pop queen Beyoncé and tech billionaire Elon Musk, the presidency said yesterday. Macron awarded Arnault the country’s highest honour, the Grand Cross of the Légion d’Honneur, at the event this week. French citizen Arnault founded luxury goods giant LVMH, a premium partner for the July 26-August 11 Paris Olympics, including to design medals for the athletes. Arnault and his family’s fortune is estimated at $240 billion (about R4.4 trillion) by Forbes, making him the wealthiest man in the world ahead of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Musk. France grants the Légion d’Honneur to about 3 000 people a year, including 400 foreigners, for their “services rendered to France” or for defending human…

JUST SA’s WEEKLY jargon buster aims to give simple, plain English explanations for typical words and phrases used in the financial industry, in particular, words relating to guaranteed life annuities and living annuities. This week, we look at the letter: G Source: Just Retirement SA, info@justsa.co.za. The jargon buster is intended for information purposes only. It should not be regarded as advice as defined in the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act 37 of 2002, or any form of advice in respect of the policy, retirement, tax, legal or other professional service whatsoever. You are encouraged to seek advice from an authorised financial adviser or to independently decide what financial product is appropriate for you based upon your own judgement and understanding of your financial needs. Just Retirement Life (South…

Gordhan in firing line: ‘Decision should have been made a long time ago’ The decision to cancel the SAA-Takatso deal was long overdue and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan should be held accountable for the failed transaction shrouded in secrecy. That’s the view of former Department of Public Enterprises director-general Kgathatso Tlhakudi, who has been at the centre of shedding light on the deal which he opposed. In an exclusive interview with the Cape Times yesterday, Tlhakudi maintained that: “The decision should have been made a long time before many resources were expended towards enabling the red flags. That Cabinet took many years is rather unfortunate.” His remarks came a day after Gordhan announced on Wednesday that the negotiations on the transaction have been terminated as there was no agreement…

The UCT Senate has voted against a proposed Israel academic boycott with a majority against the plan. According to UCT Palestinian Solidarity Forum (PSF) chairperson Anwar Adams, 60 members were in favour and 75 against. This is after a meeting was held on Friday over three motions regarding the Israel-Gaza war. However, only one was heavily debated and it was resolved that an online vote would be conducted. The motion called for the university not to participate and co-operate in any events, activities, agreements or projects involving Israeli academic institutions, research entities, lobby groups, corporations, foundations, academic forums and entities that accept funding from Israel. “This stance will be maintained until these institutions clearly condemn the ongoing genocide of Palestinian people at the hands of the Israeli state; until these…

IN HOT WATER, author Nadine Dirks shares her journey dealing with endometriosis and the challenges she faced in accessing proper healthcare. Growing up in Hanover Park, a tough neighbourhood plagued by gang violence, drugs and crime, she openly discusses her frustrations with a health system that often neglects and ignores individuals like herself. Dirks doesn’t hold back in describing the challenges faced at Groote Schuur Hospital and Hanover Park Clinic, where long waits and poor conditions were the norm. Despite these obstacles, she remains determined to stay true to herself, defiantly declaring that she “won’t let her worth be defined by her uterus”. The book reveals the harsh truths of living with a chronic illness, including missed opportunities and the loss of simple joys like dancing and painting your…

THIS week marked the kick-off of the 27th Time of the Writer festival, hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. This year's festival theme, "Reflections, Resonance & Revival," honours South Africa's 30th anniversary as a constitutional democracy, spotlighting the critical role of writers and literature in reinforcing the nation's democratic values and global stature. In a celebration of female literary prowess, over 50% of the festival's participants are women writers, amounting to 64 out of 105 talented voices. "Featuring over 50% female authors in this year's festival is not just a statistic; it's a testament to our commitment to amplifying the diverse voices of women who are shaping the landscape of contemporary literature. Their stories, insights and perspectives are pivotal in reflecting, resonating and reviving…

Can you imagine seeing a Springbok team without Siya Kolisi as the captain – or even a player? Well, that unpleasant thought would have crossed the minds of all Bok fans this week after coach Rassie Erasmus mentioned it at a press conference in Cape Town. Erasmus, in presenting his new assistant coaches Tony Brown and Jerry Flannery, was asked what the future holds for Kolisi after he stated that he would still want to use the “old dogs” in the crunch July Test series against Ireland. But Erasmus added that the Boks have a system “where we gradually think okay, this papa is going to say goodbye”, and that he hopes to again have an average age of 29 or 30 in the Bok squad for the 2027 Rugby…

Senegal’s President Macky Sall has told his government to enact an amnesty law as soon as it is officially published, amid hope a jailed main opposition candidate could be released ahead of the presidential poll in 10 days’ time. In a bid to end weeks of crisis after he postponed the February 25 presidential vote, Sall proposed a bill granting amnesty for acts committed in connection with political demonstrations since 2021. The law, adopted by MPs last week, is expected to be published imminently but there is no official information when this might be. Imprisoned anti-establishment candidate, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, and his coalition’s detained firebrand leader, Ousmane Sonko, could be the main potential beneficiaries. Unconfirmed rumours about their release have swirled, but it’s unclear whether they would fall within the…

ROME: As many as 60 people are feared to have drowned on a vessel carrying migrants across the Central Mediterranean from Libya to Italy or Malta, the operators of a charity rescue group said yesterday. SOS Mediterranee said it rescued 25 people in a “very weak” condition in co-ordination with the Italian Coast Guard. According to the UN migration agency, almost 2 500 migrants using the Central Mediterranean died or went missing last year, and 226 since the start of 2024. Data from the Italian Interior Ministry record that 5 968 migrants have arrived by sea so far this year, down from 19 937 at the same stage in 2023. | Reuters…

Manila: Hundreds of people forced to work in an online scam centre in the Philippines were rescued in a raid yesterday that also saw eight suspects arrested, according to police. Acting on a tip from a Vietnamese man who said he had escaped from the sprawling compound north of the capital, Manila, police uncovered an operation where suspected victims of human trafficking were forced into conducting various online scams. Police found 432 Chinese nationals, 371 Filipinos, 57 Vietnamese, eight Malaysians, three Taiwanese, two Indonesians and two Rwandans at the site. Scam centres have mushroomed across south-east Asia. | AFP…

Rawalpindi: Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan has warned of a looming financial crisis and public unrest in the country akin to that faced by Sri Lanka, reports said. Speaking from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, where he is being held, Khan said: “Institutions have been destroyed. The PTI (his party) was not allowed to compete in the elections. As Pakistan is going to seek the final tranche of a loan from the International Monetary Fund, he said the nation would take to the streets after a new wave of inflation. | IANS…

DEPRESSED platinum group metals (PGM) prices could affect sentiment in Southern Palladium’s flagship Ben- gwenyama project, the company said yesterday. The Bengwenyama project is an advanced exploration stage project focused on PGM mineralisation run by Southern Palladium in the Bushveld Complex of South Africa. The share price rose 6.58% to close at R5.99 yesterday on the JSE. Southern Palladium is worried that platinum, palladium and rhodium prices can fluctuate significantly and cast doubt and uncertainty on the company due to factors beyond its control. “A significant decrease in commodity prices is likely to adversely affect sentiment towards the company and market support towards the company’s development of the project,” Southern Palladium said. Despite the depressed platinum prices that have forced some bigger South African miners of the precious metal to…

KISSES and hugs on Christmas Day, during the height of Covid-19, came at a price for two women, both hospitality workers at a hospital, after they were fired. But the CCMA earlier ruled that their dismissals were substantively unfair. The commissioner ordered reinstatement and back pay. The Empact Group, which employed the two, was ordered to reinstate them, with back pay. The company turned to the labour court sitting in Gqebera to overturn the CCMA’s findings. The workers, only identified as Ms N Manoni and Ms A Cunningham, worked at Greenacres Hospital in Gqebera as hostesses, serving food to patients in the wards. On Christmas Day in 2020, during the height of the Covid pandemic, at the end of their shift they donned Christmas hats, threw caution to the…

THE Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has warned political parties that it will take legal action against those who continue to make inflammatory public utterances that seek to undermine the credibility of the electoral body and the electoral process. The deputy CEO of the IEC, Mawethu Mosery, said they had taken note of the parties making inflammatory public statements that tarnish elections and would engage them on these statements. At least two parties, the DA and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), have been making public statements that have been seen as undermining the May 29 elections. The DA has asked Western countries, including the US, to monitor the election, thereby calling into question the credibility of upcoming elections. It was reported that the DA wrote to the foreign ministers…

Western Cape police have confirmed that investigations into the whereabouts of two Fish Hoek sisters, aged 5 and 6, are ongoing. This comes after the children’s father approached the authorities for assistance when their mother allegedly broke his contact with the children and removed them from school, in contravention of a court order. The parents are currently involved in a custody dispute in the Western Cape High Court. Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said: “Kindly be advised that the matter you are referring to is still under investigation. “There are no new developments to report at this stage.” The court order, seen by the Cape Times and dated October last year, states that the mother has to return the children to their respective schools and facilitate contact between the father and…

The Geography of the Imagination Guy Davenport Loot.co.za (R735) In this fascinating book, you’ll find 40 thoroughly thought-provoking essays on history, art, and literature. These from one of the most incisive and most exhilarating critical minds of the 20th century. Guy Davenport was perhaps the last great American polymath. He provided links between art and literature, music and sculpture, modernist poets and classic philosophers, the past and present and pretty much everything in between. Not only had Davenport seemingly read (and often translated from the original languages) everything in print, he also had the ability, expressed with unalloyed enthusiasm, to draw connections between how cultural synapses make, define and reflect our civilisation. In this collection, Guy Davenport serves as the reader’s guide through history and literature, pointing out the values…

The Search Party Hannah Richell Loot.co.za (R346) Simon & Schuster A LOCKED-room mystery unfolds during a glamping trip gone horribly wrong when a powerful storm leaves the participants stranded, forcing them to confront long-held secrets and a shocking disappearance. Max and Annie Kingsley have left the London rat race with their twelve-year-old son to set up a glamping site in the wilds of Cornwall. Eager for a dry run ahead of the opening, they invite three old university friends and their families for a long-needed reunion. But the reunion quickly veers off-course. First, there’s the incident around the campfire on the first night. The following afternoon, a storm quickly develops off the rugged North Coast. The Search Party is a twisty destination thriller about the tenuous bonds of friendship and…

While there is a general view that there is a need to have an alternative to the ANC, and the DA for that matter, some new parties that present themselves to be an alternative are questionable from the outset. When you say you are going to be an alternative to something that is in existence, you are not just talking about replacing it in one form but about coming up with something new. When the likes of Songezo Zibi came out as younger leaders, compared to the ageing comrades in the ruling party, people’s hopes were high. Though education must not be put at the centre of a political party, it is very much relevant. People pin their hopes on the likes of Zibi because of the education, knowledge, and…

When President Vladimir Putin ran for re-election in 2018, he promised a “decisive breakthrough” in living standards. Six years later, as Russians go to the polls again, he is recycling old promises with new deadlines. In a major speech last month, Putin pledged more than 11.5 trillion roubles (about R2.3 trillion) of spending on areas ranging from mortgage subsidies and tax breaks for young parents to sweeping upgrades to public infrastructure. He played up the fact that Russia’s economy expanded faster last year – with 3.6% growth in GDP – than any of the Group of Seven nations that have hit Moscow with waves of sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. But other data paint a gloomier picture. Russia’s war-focused economy, where arms factories are working in three shifts round…

Israeli fire killed six Palestinians and wounded dozens as crowds of residents awaited aid trucks in Gaza City, Gaza health ministry officials said yesterday. Palestinians were rushing to get aid supplies at the Kuwait Roundabout in northern Gaza City late on Wednesday when Israeli forces opened fire, residents and health officials said. The conflict in Gaza has displaced most of the enclave’s 2.3 million population and there have been chaotic scenes and deadly incidents at aid distributions as desperately hungry people scramble for food. On February 29, Palestinian health authorities said Israeli forces shot dead more than 100 Palestinians as they waited for an aid delivery near Gaza City. Israel blamed the deaths on crowds that surrounded aid trucks, saying victims were trampled or run over.…

ABUJAL Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has taken a firm stance against paying ransom for the release of recently abducted schoolchildren and women, officials said this week. Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris said the government would explore options with international partners and refused to negotiate with criminal gangs. Gunmen abducted at least 287 pupils in an assault on schools in the north-western state of Kaduna. While no specific armed group has claimed responsibility for this incident, it echoes a similar mass kidnapping that occurred a decade ago when more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted by the Boko Haram terrorist group. | Xinhua…

MONROVIA: Internet connectivity was disrupted in the West and Central Africa region, the internet observatory Netblocks said yesterday, adding that the incident had affected networks supplying telecom companies through subsea cables. Ivory Coast was experiencing a severe outage, while Liberia and Benin were seeing a high impact, Netblocks’ data showed. Internet firm Cloudflare said on X that major internet disruptions were ongoing in Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin and Niger. “There seems a pattern in the timing of the disruptions, impacting from the north to the south of Africa,” it said. | Reuters…

France coach Fabien Galthie said yesterday it was “ideal” to be able to name an unchanged side to face England in a potential Six Nations decider this weekend. Galthie kept faith with his squad from last week’s 45-24 win over Wales for the home match in Lyon against Steve Borthwick’s England tomorrow. He had made eight changes before the win over Wales after a drab draw with Italy previously, but has no injury or suspension worries before this weekend’s match. “It’s ideal to be able to keep the same team. The team won, put in a great performance last weekend,” Galthie told reporters. Gregory Alldritt captains the side, with Leo Barre, Nicolas Depoortere, Emmanuel Meafou and Georges-Henri Colombe keeping their places after making their debuts in Cardiff. It is the…