Tabla de contenidos para 2024-11-06 en Cape Times

Fitch says SA’s economic growth figures could change swiftly, depending on the poll outcome The JSE and Wall Street’s main indexes were up yesterday afternoon as technology and chips stocks gained in the US after investors on both sides of the Atlantic braced for volatile trading over the next few days as voting began in the tightly contested presidential election in that country. Global rating agency Fitch Ratings said, for instance, that its own weaker economic growth forecasts for South Africa may be overstated, depending on the outcome of the US election. Describing South Africa’s plans to cut government debt and its economic growth targets as contained in last week’s Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) as “optimistic”, it said that South Africa’s economic growth figures could change swiftly, depending on…

THE National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has accused the eThekwini Municipality of overcharging customers regarding its electricity tariffs. However, the municipality is disputing this claim and has taken the matter to court, arguing that the tariffs it is charging are fair and benchmarked against those of other municipalities. The issue primarily concerns the tariffs charged to business customers. During an executive committee meeting yesterday, councillors expressed concerns that these revelations could lead customers to use Nersa’s position as a basis for legal action against the municipality, claiming they had been over-billed. The matter came to light as the City discussed issues raised by its Audit Committee. In a statement, the City noted that at the Executive Committee (exco) meeting held yesterday, a report was presented on key issues…

Polls show the two running neck and neck in each of key states likely to determine winner The dizzying presidential contest between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris hurtled toward an uncertain finish yesterday as millions of Americans headed to the polls to choose between two sharply different visions for the country. A race churned by unprecedented events – two assassination attempts against Trump, President Joe Biden’s surprise withdrawal and Harris’s rapid rise – remained neck and neck as Election Day dawned, even after billions of dollars in spending and months of frenetic campaigning. The first ballots cast mirrored the nationwide divide. Overnight, the six registered voters in the tiny hamlet of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, split their votes between Harris and Trump in voting just past midnight. Across…

TRAKMAN (Cape Times letters, November 4, 2024) argues that my stance on the Balfour Declaration is wrong. What exactly did I say that could be proven to be wrong? Surely, we should inform the authors of the sources that I used, including Ilan Pappe, Norman Finkelstein, and Antony Loewenstein – all intellectual Jews who produced scholarly works. As well as institutions like the European Centre for Palestine Studies at the University of Exeter, the Archbishop Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation, and the Bible College in Bethlehem, where the Palestinian cleric Rev Dr Munther Isaac serves, of his views then? Trakman chooses to ignore the outburst by Bazazel Smotrich in October 2021, when he said to the few Arab members in the Knesset, “You’re only here by mistake, because Ben Gurion…

A YOUNG man who raped his disabled grandmother and another who raped then strangled a woman to death after his advances were rejected, will serve lengthy imprisonment sentences. The Eastern Cape High Court sitting in East London sentenced a 24-year-old man to 20 years imprisonment after pleading guilty to raping his now-deceased maternal grandmother, aged 76, in December 2022. The grandmother suffered from advanced Alzheimer's dementia, rendering her mentally incapacitated and physically frail. She resided with her daughter – the convicted rapist’s mother – and another younger grandson at Emigeni Informal Settlement, Ducats South in East London. According to NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali, the man arrived at the home in the afternoon and found his grandmother alone in his mother’s shack where he assaulted her. “The assault on the granny…

As South Africa celebrates 30 years of democracy, our nation continues to reflect on the paths we have walked and the milestones we’ve achieved. Among the crucial pillars of this reflection are heritage monuments and museums – custodians of our collective history. These spaces do more than just preserve the past. In the heart of every society lies a memory bank, a reservoir of experiences, struggles, victories, and lessons learned. Heritage monuments and museums serve as physical manifestations of that memory. These sites capture the stories that shaped the South Africa we know today. At Freedom Park, we honour the men and women who sacrificed their lives for the freedom we now enjoy. These individuals, whose names are etched on the Wall of Names, represent the resilience and courage of…

“Having three children is the best,” says a vibrant neon pink sign at a wedding expo in the southern Chinese city of Changsha, where visitors can also pick up tips on tying the knot and men can strap on a pregnancy belly to experience childbirth pain. The marriage-themed festival comes at a time when China is looking to spur weddings and births to counter a shrinking population. However, it has drawn thin crowds and sparked criticism for being regressive, disparaging towards women and for putting people off marriage – contrary to the government’s aim. Social media users called out slogans at the expo such as “Housework is the best”, “Best at raising kids” and “Best at tutoring homework” for reinforcing gender stereotypes. “The slogans are all aimed at women. Shouldn’t…

India plans to overhaul its criminal sentencing norms to counter accusations of arbitrary punishment, sources said, following public outrage over the 2022 rape conviction of a man within 30 minutes of trial, by a judge who handed him the death penalty. A higher court in the eastern state of Bihar later overturned the conviction and ordered a retrial, saying the man had been denied the opportunity to defend himself and the judge had acted in “utmost haste”. It also called for more training for the judge. In response, the government plans to develop a grading system to ensure punishment matches the crime, and help standardise sentencing, so pulling the judicial system closer in line with the likes of Britain, Canada and New Zealand. The law and justice ministry will unveil…

MOSCOW: An engineer at a Russian tank manufacturer has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for high treason, after being found guilty of giving military information to Ukraine, a court said yesterday. Danil Mukhametov, 32, and his wife Viktoria worked at Uralvagonzavod in Nizhny Tagil, in Russia’s Urals, when they were detained last year by Russia’s FSB security services, the regional court in Sverdlovsk said. Mukhametov “partially admitted his guilt” and was sentenced to 16 years in prison. His wife was sentenced last month to 12.5 years in prison on the same charges, according to Russian news agencies. | AFP…

LUANDA: The African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA), an intergovernmental organisation of leading diamond-producing nations, is set to launch its sustainability certification in 2025. The implementation of the certification by ADPA members will be voluntary and will begin in the first quarter of next year, said Ellah Muchemwa, the association’s executive director. Diamond sustainability certification ensures that diamonds are sourced and produced in an ethical and environmentally responsible manner. The association plans to launch a pilot project in the artisanal and small-scale mining sector, Muchemwa said. | Sputnik…

It has been just over a year since the Springboks ground out an 18-3 victory over Scotland in the opening round of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, but Duane Vermeulen insists that Sunday’s rematch in Edinburgh will be a very different ball game. After calling time on his international career following the Boks' triumph in Paris, Vermeulen, now 38, is a year into his new chapter as a coach. Speaking from Edinburgh, he shared his reflections on the transition from “one of the boys” to a member of the management team. “We had a great training camp in Jersey where we were accepted with open arms,” he remarked. “There are only 100 000 people on this island but a fair percentage of them seemed to be South Africans and we…

CAREL Schoeman, an attorney accused of child rape, could face suspension or being disbarred as the Legal Practice Council investigates him over 26 criminal charges. The LPC confirmed that added to this investigation, they are also probing three complaints against Schoeman unrelated to the criminal charges he faces. Schoeman – owner of CBS Attorneys – is accused of buying a 13-year-old girl from her mother for R160 000, before raping her repeatedly. The girl’s mother, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the daughter, is Schoeman’s co-accused and appeared in the Gauteng High Court sitting in Palm Ridge where both pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them. The mother was charged with 72 counts, including nine of sexual exploitation of children, nine of rape, human trafficking,…

BY THE time this column reaches you, dear reader, you probably will have an idea of who will move into the White House. I shudder when I think that Donald Trump might be in power to wreak his awful brand of havoc at home and across the world. I shudder even more at the jockeying by some really dubious people to become the next president of our wonderful country. Where are principled, decisive and visionary folks to lead us into an honourable future? I also shudder at many missed opportunities to capitalise on the unprecedented volume of shipping off the coast. Few diverted ships berth in our ports or bunker in one of our sheltered anchorages. Mauritius and Walvis Bay have grabbed slices of the bunker business that could have…

I read the article by Federico Cerutti on entrepreneurship being the answer to the youth unemployment challenge of today and the future. Yes, it is if you tackle the problem from the front, as it were, and not from where it starts, at the source. I am intensely aware, as are most socially-aware people, of the dire crises in so many areas of the world – Sudan, Yemen, most of Africa, Gaza, many of the countries of South America – wherever there is conflict and the poorer people of the region suffer. It is an unending circle of misery, starvation, deprivation and pain, especially for the innocent children. The UN, the WHO, the wonderful people who run the big aid organisations, and of course the US, who is…

THE Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) is probing the death of a taxi driver allegedly at the hands of police officers. Luvuyo Vimba, who operated in Hout Bay, allegedly got into an altercation with police before he was chased by officers and beaten and assaulted with a sjambok. Ipid spokesperson, Phaladi Shuping, said: “IPID confirms that the matter was reported to the directorate for investigation and the investigations are underway. There will be a reconstruction of the scene because the deceased died days after the incident in hospital.” Spokesperson for taxi umbrella organisation, Santaco, Makhosandile Tumana condemned the incident and said taxi drivers are often the victims of police brutality. “A video of a driver being brutally attacked by the police and law enforcement has been circulating. This is the…

Indian and South African businesses should forge alliances to build growth strategies It’s the most appropriate time to leverage the prominent global influence of the Indian economy on the world stage. India was recorded as the fastest-growing large economy during the last decade and contemplating to be the third-largest economy by 2027. As India celebrates the 100th year of it’s independence in 2047, it envisages to become “Viksit Bharat – by 2047” (A Developed Economy). At present, India is South Africa’s fourth-largest import partner and seventh-largest export partner. The partnerships between the two economies are beyond economic and commercial co-operation. The shared ties encompass defence, culture, health, human settlements, public administration, science and technology, and the education sector too. India imports mineral products, wood pulps and materials, metals, chemicals, pearls…

The dollar softened yesterday as traders squared positions before the US presidential election, while options volatility soared after recent polls dented some market bets on a victory for Republican Donald Trump. Democrat Kamala Harris has also experienced improving odds on election gambling sites and had a slight lead on PredictIt overnight, although Polymarket continued to show Trump as the favourite. In recent weeks, financial markets and some betting platforms had leaned strongly in favour of a win for Trump, whose tariff and immigration policies are considered inflationary by analysts, leading to a rise in US Treasury yields and gains for the dollar. The US currency took a knock on yesterday after a weekend opinion poll showed Harris with a surprise lead in Iowa, a traditional Republican stronghold. Overall, polls continued…

The world’s first wooden satellite has blasted off on a SpaceX rocket, its Japanese developers said yesterday, part of a resupply mission to the International Space Station. Scientists at Kyoto University expect the wooden material to burn up when the device re-enters the atmosphere – potentially providing a way to avoid generating metal particles when a retired satellite returns to Earth. These particles may negatively impact both the environment and telecommunications, the developers say. Each side of the box-like experimental satellite, named LignoSat, measures just 10cm. It was launched on an unmanned rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Kyoto University’s Human Spaceology Center said. The satellite, installed in a special container prepared by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, “flew into space safely”, it said. LignoSat’s co-developer Sumitomo Forestry…

TEHRAN: Two French citizens detained in Iran since May 2022 are in good health and being held in good detention conditions, Iran’s judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir said yesterday. Last month, France’s foreign ministry said the conditions that three of its nationals were being held in by Iran were unacceptable. Cecile Koehler and Jacques Paris were arrested on charges of espionage. Jahangir did not mention the third French national detained in Iran. In recent years, Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards have arrested dozens of dual nationals and foreigners. | Reuters…

SAN FRANCISCO: When it was reported in April that Tesla had scrapped plans for a next-generation $25 000 electric vehicle, the automaker’s stock plunged. Chief executive Elon Musk denied this. Six months later, Musk appears to have backed into an admission that Tesla dropped its plans for a human-driven car. He said last month that building the affordable EV would be “pointless” unless the car was fully autonomous. Musk said last month that Tesla does plan a “$25K car” – its “Cybercab,” a two-door, two-seat, fully autonomous vehicle. He unveiled a prototype at a Hollywood-style event. Musk said Tesla would start production of the Cybercab in 2026, after it deploys fully autonomous versions of its current Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in Texas and California next year.…

The Government Printing Works (GPW) came under fire for keeping a new printing machine still in a box and not in use for years, and for failing to provide time frames to implement recommendations of a ministerial review committee. This emerged when the GPW appeared before the home affairs portfolio committee to provide a progress report on the implementation of the recommendation of the ministerial review panel report that was appointed after the GPW’s server crashed in February 2021 and led to the loss of data. The panel presented its report that covered ICT, human resources, finance, operations and production as well as security services to former minister Aaron Motsoaledi in July 2022 and the entity received the report in September 2022. Briefing the committee, GPW CEO Alinah Fosi said…

OF THE 886 767 learners across the country that have been identified as qualifying for scholar transport, only 673 117 are able to be transported for the current 2024/2025 financial year. The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has attributed the shortfall of 213 650 learners that cannot be transported to budget constraints. This emerged as the select committee on education, sciences and creative industries was briefed by the DBE and the Transport Department over scholar transport challenges and budget cuts yesterday. While learners with special needs are expected to be prioritised, of the 48 076 children identified to require transport, the department can only transport 44 026 at 222 schools. By province, Mpumalanga cannot transport 3 486 special needs learners at seven schools, followed by Eastern Cape with 536 at…

Soaking the beans overnight takes some planning, but worth the wait for a hearty family meal. 1 cup dried white beans 2 tsp olive or canola oil 750g stewing beef on the bone, cut into cubes and excess fat removed 2 onions, coarsely chopped 2 celery stalks with the leaves, thickly sliced 4 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger 1 clove of garlic, crushed 4 tsp dried mixed herbs 4 whole cloves 2 bay leaves 1/2 tsp salt 4 cups strong Rooibos 3 ripe tomatoes, cubed 300 g cauliflower, cut into florets 2 large spinach leaves, cut into strips lemon juice and black pepper to taste 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley Method Place beans in a large bowl and cover with 750ml cold water. Soak overnight,…

THE two men accused of the assassination of alleged underworld figure, Mark Lifman, will appear again in court next week for bail information and bail application. Johannes Hendrik Jacobs and Gert Johannes Bezuidenhout appeared in the George Magistrate’s Court yesterday, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila confirmed. They are charged with premeditated murder of Lifman. The matter was postponed to November 13. Independent Media reported that the duo, who both work for a Cape Town-based security company, were caught driving a white VW Polo after they allegedly fired at Lifman at Garden Route Mall in the Southern Cape town of George on Sunday. Lifman was reportedly ambushed by gunmen wielding assault rifles and the suspects fled the scene in a white VW Golf with fake licence plates. Police spokesperson, Andrè…

A WEALTHY woman who married an unemployed man 17 years younger than her and showered him with expensive gifts before and during their short-lived marriage, now upon their divorce has asked the court to order that he forfeit the house and sports car which she had bought him. The wife turned to the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, where she complained that in spite of an undertaking and a subsequent court order, he had cleared one of her bank accounts. Although she chose to marry him in community of property, she said his conduct warrants that he forfeit half of the estate. The plaintiff instituted a divorce action against the husband after a slightly more than two-year marriage. The husband, in response to the wife’s forfeiture application, asked that she forfeit…

Politicians like DA federal chairperson Helen Zille make a farce of South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU) and render the country a banana republic. Zille has told the SA Chamber of Commerce UK that the DA was instructed by the business community to protect President Cyril Ramaphosa from the EFF and MKP. According to Zille, Julius Malema’s EFF and Jacob Zuma’s MKP were not suitable GNU partners because their presence would prompt large investors to leave the country. This is more gobbledygook from the DA, which seems to think it can run a government within the GNU, instead of being a willing and able partner like the other parties. Both the DA’s Dr Leon Schreiber, the Minister of Home Affairs, and the party’s leader and Minister of Agriculture, John…

Israel’s military issued new evacuation orders in the north of the Gaza Strip yesterday after carrying out strikes across the enclave which Palestinian media and medics said had killed at least 30 people. An air strike damaged two houses in the town of Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, where the army has carried out new operations since October 5, and killed at least 20 people late on Monday, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA and Hamas media said. Four other people were killed in the central Gazan town of Al-Zawayda at about midnight on Monday, medics said. The Gaza health ministry did not immediately confirm the tolls, but Palestinian health officials said six people had also been killed in two separate Israeli air strikes in Gaza City and Deir Al-Balah…

TOKYO: North Korea launched at least seven ballistic missiles, the flight altitude of which was about 100km and the range about 400km, all of which fell outside the exclusive economic zone of Japan, Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani said. “Today, the DPRK launched short-range ballistic missiles in the north-east direction. “They all fell outside the exclusive economic zone of Japan. At least seven missiles were fired. Their flight altitude reached about 100km, and the flight range was up to 400km,” the minister said. According to Nakatani, the Japanese government sent a strong protest to North Korea. Last week, North Korea launched its latest intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-19. | Sputnik…

KIGALI: Rwanda has made progress in containing the spread of Marburg virus disease, as the east African country has reported no new deaths for three weeks, a senior official said this week. Rwandan Minister of Health Sabin Nsanzimana said the country last recorded a Marburg-related death on October 14. The outbreak was declared on September 27. “Investigations traced the virus back to fruit bats, identified as the primary source of infection. The index case was linked to a mine where these bats roost, prompting authorities to install a barrier separating the bats’ habitat from the working areas,” he said. | Xinhua…

London: Oasis fans desperate to see the British band’s reunion next year are falling victim to “a landslide of ticket scams on social media”, notably Facebook, a UK bank revealed yesterday. Lloyds said that since the reunion announcement in late August, about 70% of scams related to concert tickets and reported to the bank affected people hoping to see brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher. Victims had lost up to £1 000. Oasis has said that genuine tickets received from resale sites will not be valid. | AFP…

From the moment the SA20 was launched, it was clear that South African cricket would grow in leaps and bounds. The tournament promised a financial boost for a game in the country that desperately needed it, but most importantly, future stars would emerge as a result of the tournament. Andile Simelane, 21, is one of the many youngsters who have exponentially developed their skills since being part of the SA20, where he plays for back-to-back champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape. Last week, the youngster was announced in the Proteas T20I squad for the upcoming four-match series against India here at home in South Africa. Reflecting on his time with the ‘Orange Army’ down in Gqeberha, Simelane told Independent Newspapers that the SA20 helped upgrade his skill sets. "I worked with Dale…

The matches are coming thick and fast in domestic football and therefore there is no time for teams to lick their wounds or drown in self-pity after a bad day in the office. Stellenbosch and TS Galaxy will know this well ahead of their meeting at Athlone Stadium tonight at 7.30pm, following their disappointment in the Carling Knockout. Stellies, the defending champions, were knocked out of their own party by Marumo Gallants on Sunday, while fellow finalists Galaxy also lost to Magesi FC on the same day. Both sides will be eager to get back onto the winning trail, with host Stellies still favoured to win the match tonight. Stellenbosch defeated The Rockets in the Carling Knockout final last season and have since bested Sead Ramovic’s men twice more, including…