Inhoudsopgave van 2022-01-03 - Cape Times

Dr Chandni Tugnait As we start a new year, we may feel more aware or confused, more focused or distracted, more poised or ruffled, more driven or more settled, more ambitious or content – all of this is fine. Whatever our mood, we are often preoccupied with new year resolutions and how to keep them this time. So, despite our best intentions, why is it so difficult to stick to resolutions? It doesn’t matter if the resolution is to start a new habit or to give up an addiction; it all comes down to consistency and dedication. Most people blame their failure to fulfil resolutions on a lack of time, resources, or motivation, or a loss of zeal after starting. Only about 16% of people are able to follow their…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za ONE of Gauteng High Court Judge President Dunstan Mlambo's colleagues in the division has backed his bid to become the next Chief Justice. Judge Fayeeza Kathree-Setiloane believes Judge President Mlambo is well placed to lead the judiciary. Judge President Mlambo is among four candidates to be interviewed next month to replace retired Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng. Other candidates include Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo; Supreme Court of Appeal President Mandisa Maya; and Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga. In the latest edition of The Judiciary newsletter, Judge Kathree-Setiloane wished Judge President Mlambo “all the best in the upcoming Judicial Service Commission (JSC) interviews for selection of the Chief Justice”. ”You are an outstanding leader and well placed to lead our judiciary. “Please know that you have our full…

Mayibongwe Maqhina and Chevon Booysen THE Hawks have taken over the case of the man arrested in connection with a fire that ripped through parts of Parliament yesterday morning. Briefing the media, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille confirmed one person was arrested. “I can confirm from (Western Cape SAPS commissioner Thembisile Patekile) the docket was handed over to the Hawks. It is the role of the Hawks to investigate attacks on political institutions,” De Lille said. She said the suspect was arrested inside Parliament and CCTV cameras showed someone was in the parliamentary building from the early hours of the morning. “We will have a report (today) on what happened,” De Lille said. Police spokesperson Vishnu Naidoo said a man was taken in for questioning. “I can…

Marsha Dean marsha.dean@inl.co.za TO keep the spirit of the annual Tweede Nuwe Jaar celebrations alive, the Cape Malay Choir Boys and 7 Steps Minstrels hosted a small but powerful demonstration of song, dance and poetry in the long-standing tradition at the Castle of Good Hope yesterday. This year marks the second year without the traditional Kaapse Klopse carnival being held due to the Covid-19 pandemic. January 2 - the only day the slaves enjoyed a day off throughout the year - is symbolic in the Cape, also known as "Tweede Nuwe Jaar” and gave rise to the annual Kaapse Klopse celebration of song and dance. This year’s event, made possible through collaboration by The Cape Muslim and Slave Heritage Museum, Castle of Good Hope, 7 Steps Minstrels and Cape…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za A LANGA mother entered the new year in grief after her son, 17, who had been eagerly awaiting his matric results, was stabbed to death. Bonteheuwel High School pupil Wisdom Anyawu was attacked by a man allegedly over a lighter minutes after the countdown to midnight. His mother, Thobeka Anyawu, said the suspect approached the teen and his friends on the road. “He requested a lighter for his cigarette. The friends said none of them had one and apparently my son, who was carrying his, offered to light up the cigarette for him. Wisdom didn’t hand it to him, because he apparently rudely questioned why my son wanted to light the cigarette for him instead of giving him the lighter. He (then) stabbed Wisdom in the chest.…

Fei Mingxing The Winter Olympics Beijing 2022 takes place in 30 days, between February 4 and 20, followed by the Winter Paralympics from March 4 to 13. As the world’s first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics, Beijing is ready to welcome athletes and delegations from all over the world, including brothers and sisters from South Africa. To offer a streamlined, safe and splendid Olympic Games is China’s solemn commitment to the world. Preparations are progressing well, as planned. The Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (BOCOG) carries out multiple measures, including streamlining ceremonies, making full use of the 2008 Olympics venues for the Winter Games, and downsizing the venue operation teams to reduce the cost. With the pandemic still spreading across…

KUALA LUMPUR: Seven states in Malaysia were hit by floods yesterday and thousands of people were evacuated, taking the total affected by heavy rain in the last two weeks to over 125 000, the National Disaster Management Agency said. The agency said in a statement that Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan and Sabah were all affected by floods, and 8 727 people were taking shelter at 128 relief centres. A total of 125 490 people have been affected by the floods nationwide, it said, of which 117 700 evacuees have returned home. Floods are common on the eastern coast of Malaysia during the annual monsoon season between October and March, but unusually heavy rainfall that started on December 17 displaced thousands and strained emergency services. Fifty people have…

LONDON: More than 100 000 people are against the appointment of former British prime minister Tony Blair as a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, according to an online petition. After being appointed to the oldest and most senior British Order of Chivalry, as seen in the Queen’s New Year’s honours list, Blair said it was “an immense honour to be appointed Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter”. However, an online petition launched by Angus Scott on Change.org calling for the Queen’s decision to be reversed has already been signed by more than 109 000 people. The petition states that Blair was “personally responsible for causing the death of countless innocent, civilian lives and servicemen in various conflicts. “For this alone, he…

Tehran: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they killed six “armed bandits” in a shoot-out in the country’s southeast that also left three members of a Guards-linked paramilitary force dead. The latest clashes in Sistan-Baluchistan broke out around a hideout of militants near a village in the centre of the province, the Guards said on their Sepah News website. Sistan-Baluchistan, bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan, is a flashpoint for clashes with smuggling gangs as well as separatists from the Baluchi minority and extremist militant groups. “Six bandits were killed and five others wounded,” the Sepah News report said.…

Kingston: Jamaica will deport former Colombian army officer Mario Antonio Palacios, a suspect in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, to Colombia, local media reported. “The applicant should depart by January 3 (today),” High Court judge Justice Courtney Daye ordered during a New Year’s Eve court sitting. Haiti twice requested Palacios’ extradition to face trial there, but Jamaican prosecutors denied both. Moise was shot dead at his residence on July 7. His injured wife received medical treatment in the US. Haitian authorities have detained over 40 suspects in Moise’s assassination, including 18 Colombian citizens.…

England opener Zak Crawley said he would be prepared to endure tougher health protocols to ensure the Ashes series is completed, adding that the tourists were determined to push back hard at Australia in this week’s fourth Test. A dominant innings and 14-run victory in the third Test in Melbourne on Tuesday gave Australia an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series, leaving England playing only for pride in the final two matches. The resurgence of Covid-19 in New South Wales has cast a shadow over the Sydney Test, but Crawley said he was willing to accept tighter health protocols to ensure the match went ahead as scheduled on Wednesday. “Personally, I would… I can’t speak for everyone on that, but we’ve only got a couple of weeks left and I…

Lutho Pasiya Sticking to a healthy eating routine throughout the holiday season is easier said than done – but it’s not impossible. You can use healthy ingredient substitutions to enjoy your favourite holiday recipes without getting off track. Below, the team at Herbalife share some ideas to help you create lasting holiday memories without constantly worrying about your healthy eating goals. Substitute sugar in desserts with fruit. For anyone on a health journey, sugar can prevent you from reaching your goals. Yet, biting into something sweet at the end of the meal is something most of us look forward to. So, instead of depriving yourself, find a good compromise with fruit. Berries, pineapple, litchis, grapes, watermelon, and pawpaw are great sweet fruits to satisfy your cravings without piling on the…

Bang Showbiz Romeo Beckham – whose parents are David and Victoria Beckham – will wear the sports brand’s FUTURE Z 1.2 boots when he takes to the field for his second season as a professional footballer, and added that the partnership also allows him to embrace his passion for fashion. He said in a statement: “The FUTURE Z boots match my game perfectly. “They’re light so that I can use my pace and agility, but they also grip the ball amazingly so I can dribble and pass effectively. “I love the colours of the Under the Lights pack, which combine my passions of fashion and football.” Earlier this year, Romeo signed for USL League One side Fort Lauderdale CF – a reserve affiliate of his football legend dad’s franchise Inter…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za | POLITICAL BUREAU PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa is scheduled to deliver the ANC’s January 8 statement on Saturday with an eye on the outcomes of the party’s regional and provincial conferences ahead of the national elective conference in December. At least one ANC region has publicly endorsed Ramaphosa to be re-elected for his second five-year term as party leader in December 2022, after a number of regional conferences were held in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Limpopo. Delegates to last month’s Alfred Nzo regional conference in the Eastern Cape unanimously agreed that Ramaphosa be given a second term to lead the party at its upcoming 2022 national conference and mandated the regional executive committee to engage other regions inside and outside the province around this perspective. This is…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za A RENEWED call has been made to rename Cape Town International Airport, the Desmond Mpilo Tutu International Airport. This as the country yesterday concluded a week of mourning following the death of the beloved spiritual leader, anti-apartheid activist and global human rights campaigner, with Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, in a short service as he laid Tutu’s remains to rest at the high altar of St George's Cathedral, suggesting the name change. “Why don’t we rename Cape Town International Airport the Desmond Mpilo Tutu International Airport?” Makgoba said at the service, attended by about 20 members of the Tutu family, led by widow Nomalizo Leah Tutu. Tutu passed away last Sunday aged 90. Makgoba led the service, assisted by Dean Michael Weeder, Dean of the Cathedral, and Bishop Malusi…

Staff writer AT LEAST 175 babies were born on New Year's Day at public health facilities in the province. The provincial health department said of the babies born on New Year’s Day, 93 were boys, while 82 girls were boys, with the numbers subject to change as more births were confirmed The first baby, a boy, was born at Mowbray Maternity Hospital three minutes after midnight, weighing 4390gm and 50cm in length, to mother Phumeza Jezile. The second baby, also a boy, was born at Karl Bremer Hospital a minute later, weighing 3620gm and 51cm in length, to mother Melony Rank. The third child, a baby girl, was born at Helderberg Hospital at 00:36am, weighing 4330gm, and 55.4 cm in length to mother Nastehoshuute Abdullah. One set of twin girls…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za ALLEGED underworld figure and accused murderer Nafiz Modack’s “violent personality” is one of the reasons the State wants him to remain behind bars. Modack is implicated in a raft of criminal charges including the murder of Anti-Gang Unit officer Charl Kinnear, the attempted murder of criminal lawyer William Booth, intimidation, kidnapping, extortion, money laundering and contravening the Electronics Act. He and his co-accused – Jacques Cronje and Ashley Tabisher – will find out later this month if their lengthy bail applications in the Blue Downs Regional Court have succeeded. In their closing arguments, opposing bail of all three accused, the State averred that Modack had been aware of a hand-grenade attack during 2019 at the home of Kinnear and had been requested, by another of his co-accused…

India is supposedly the largest and most populous democracy in the world. Regrettably, recently, I have seen on videos the horrifying speeches by Hindu nationalists seeking Rohingya-like genocide against minority groups such as Muslims and Christians? Videos showing the public murder and assaulting of Muslims are regularly distributed on social media. Moreover, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling classes of BJP supporters are silent on these atrocious aspects of hate speech and calls for the ethnic cleansing of minorities in India. Modi’s silence gives impetus to these individuals endangering the lives of millions of minorities in India. These hate sentiments pose, not only a grave threat to much-needed unity in India but also to the constitution of India. Stirring the fires of communal violence and hatred is very simple;…

FOR over two years the country was left shell-shocked when witness after witness told the Commission of Inquiry into state capture how key state departments were captured for the benefit of a corrupt few. Chief among those who were accused of capturing the state was the Gupta family, now in a self-imposed exile amid the high towers of Dubai. But they were not working alone; they worked with corrupt state officials and corrupt politicians. Bosasa, the cash cow of several ANC politicians and the governing party, was also fingered. We all heard how they were bankrolling the private ceremonies of certain politicians and lavishing them with gifts in return for lucrative state tenders, mainly from the Department of Correctional Services. After a painstaking process, the chairperson of the commission, Acting…

A HERD of endangered wild elephants have rampaged through a safari park in Bangladesh, with officials warning yesterday that the creatures were acting aggressively and posed a serious safety threat. The herd of at least 13 elephants knocked down a 2m-high concrete wall to break into the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park, north of the resort city of Cox’s Bazar, earlier this week. “They are very restless, frightened and acting as if they are cornered. They are now very dangerous for other animals and our visitors,” said park official Mazharul Islam. The reserve is home to over 1 300 animals – including Bengal tigers, hippos and other threatened species – and sees around 5 000 visitors each day in winter. “We are worried for the park’s visitors,” Islam…

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for solutions to economic hardships and the development of military prowess in a speech at a major policy meeting this week, state media said on Saturday. Food shortage and other domestic hardships were put in the foreground as Kim laid out plans for 2022 at the plenary meeting of the ruling Worker’s Party’s central committee. He also vowed to build up North Korea’s military in light of the “destabilising” situation on the Korean Peninsula and international politics. His remarks at the meeting, carried by the North’s official Rodong Sinmun on Saturday, appeared to replace his New Year’s Day address, a banner speech that previously served as a vehicle for major diplomatic and policy announcements. Unlike previous years, when Kim issued sharp statements that…

washington: Airlines canceled more than 2 500 US flights at the weekend, many of them into or out of the storm-battered Upper Midwest, as wintry weather and staffing shortages amid a spike in coronavirus cases made Saturday the worst of several straight chaotic days for air travelers. As of early Saturday evening, 2 627 flights within, into or out of the US had been canceled, easily the highest daily total in more than a week of havoc for airlines, according to FlightAware, which compiles commercial aviation data. Twenty-seven flights out of Reagan National and 22 into the airport had been canceled as of early Saturday night.…

Cairo: Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority said the key waterway netted record revenues last year, despite the coronavirus pandemic and a six-day blockage by giant cargo ship the Ever Given. Connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, the canal accounts for roughly 10% of global maritime trade and is a source of much-needed foreign currency for Egypt. In 2021, some 1.27 billion tons of cargo were shipped through the canal, earning $6.3 billion (about R100.5bn) in transit fees, 13% more than the previous year and the highest figures ever recorded, Suez Canal Authority chief Osama Rabie said.…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za There is no time for the South African players to feel sorry for themselves. The Indians don’t. They don’t care that South Africa has been dealt a harsh hand by the sport’s schedulers in the last 12 months, nor do they care that South Africa has lost a match winner in Quinton de Kock. The tourists don’t care that there’ll be no crowds allowed at the Wanderers; they don’t care that three potential starters for the Proteas today have played less than five Tests. All India cares about, all Virat Kohli wants, is to win, and with that win, to make history. So, the home team’s players can’t mope. De Kock’s retired, get over it, said Dean Elgar yesterday. The same could go for any ill-feeling any…

Bang Showbiz Paris Hilton is loving married life with Carter Reum, after they tied the knot earlier this year. The 40-year-old star has taken to Twitter to reveal she’s loving married life with Carter Reum, after they tied the knot in November. Alongside some behind-the-scenes photos from their honeymoon, Hilton wrote: “Happy #25thMonthiversary my love! “Traveling the world with you for our Honeymoon has been a dream come true [dizzy emoji]. I’m so grateful to be married to my best friend.(sparkles and heart emojis). I can’t wait for this next chapter and all the new memories that await us both. (aeroplane, sunset and heart emojis) #HiltonReumForever” (sic). Hilton previously admitted that she’s “never been happier” in her life. The socialite loved spending time in lockdown with Reum amid the Covid-19…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za IN A victory for couples in a life partnership, the Constitutional Court has confirmed an earlier High Court ruling that if one of the parties dies intestate – without a will – the surviving partner may claim maintenance from their deceased partner’s estate. The court on Friday confirmed that the Maintenance of Surviving Spouses Act must include that a person in a permanent life partnership can also claim maintenance if the surviving partner can prove that he or she was financially dependent on the deceased. As things stood, those outside of marriage could not claim maintenance, in spite of the fact that census data of 2016 revealed that approximately 3.2 million South Africans cohabit outside of marriage and that this number is increasing steadily. The Western…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za A NEAR-DEATH experience on New Year's Eve saw 59-year-old Sedick Floris from Hanover Park falling out of his boat in rough seas near Kommetjie and being swept out to sea, leaving his young son and friends stranded on board. In a miraculous turn of events, two local divers from Ocean View spotted him floating in the water and rushed to his rescue, pulling him and the boat to shore. “The experience has taught me to appreciate life because it can be taken away in one second. I never thought that would happen to me. We had serviced the boat and everything was fine,” Floris said. The father of 13 said that when they went out on the water, conditions were calm. “For 10 minutes we drove (the…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za GOOD news for workers of the SA Post Office (Sapo) is that the Supreme Court of Appeal has ordered that the postal giant pay its monthly contributions on behalf of employees towards the Post Office Retirement Fund. Judge Clive Plasket said the entity was in breach of this obligation in that it had not made the required payments since May last year. While the Post Office cited its dire financial situation and Covid-19 as reasons for not paying its pension contributions, the judge said the Post Office was merely using scare tactics by citing its financial woes as a reason to escape from its obligations. The SCA judgment, delivered last Thursday, also ordered the already cash-strapped Post Office to pay the legal costs of the appeal. Four…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za WESTERN Cape roads continued to see carnage over the festive season with 11 people killed in separate incidents within 37 hours. Six people, including a child, died early on Saturday morning when a minibus taxi driver allegedly fell asleep and crashed into a concrete structure. The taxi overturned on the N1 highway near Laingsburg in the Karoo leaving 14 people injured. “The vehicle carried 20 people including the driver. Six people died in this single vehicle crash, three females, two males and a young girl. The minibus taxi was travelling in the direction of Cape Town when the 28-year-old driver allegedly fell asleep behind the wheel, went off the road and hit a collar,” provincial transport spokesperson Jandre Bakker said. A collision between a Toyota Yaris and…

Subdued mood for the new year could serve as an omen for this year’s global economy THE universal mood music as the world saw in the new year on Friday evening was emphatically subdued. The new Omicron variant of the coronavirus sweeping the world served as the ultimate party pooper. But is it also an omen for the state of the global economy in 2022 – subdued GDP growth with the usual regional disparities and downside risks? Institutions and economists are revelling in their perennial end-of-the-year hype guessing a cornucopia of scenarios for global economy prospects in 2022. The one thing they are all agreed on is that the resurgent Omicron is a stark reminder that the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over and its impacts will be with us…

The EU has drawn up plans to label some natural gas and nuclear energy projects as “green” investments after a year-long battle between governments over which investments are truly climate-friendly. The European Commission is expected to propose rules in January deciding whether gas and nuclear projects will be included in the EU “sustainable finance taxonomy”. This is a list of economic activities and the environmental criteria they must meet to be labelled as green investments. By restricting the “green” label to truly climate-friendly projects, the system aims to make those investments more attractive to private capital, and stop “greenwashing”, where companies or investors overstate their eco-friendly credentials. Brussels has also made moves to apply the system to some EU funding, meaning the rules could decide which projects are eligible for…

Los Angeles: Singer James Blunt is grateful the coronavirus pandemic forced him to spend more time with his family because he’d spent so long promising his wife he’d take a year off while knowing he wouldn’t do it. Blunt said: “I’ve been on tour for 17 years and I’d been lying to my wife saying I’d take a year out and spend time at home – then the pandemic forced my hand. And it was amazing. I felt very, very fortunate to do that.” The singer, 47, and his wife Sofia have been together for nine years. “The secret to longlasting love? My dad’s advice was, ‘Be kind to each other’.”…

Jerusalem: A Palestinian prisoner languishing in hospital after an extensive hunger strike teetered close to death yesterday, sparking international concern and Palestinian demands that Israel release him from detention without charges. Hisham Abu Hawash, 40, a member of the Islamic Jihad militant movement, began refusing food in August to protest against Israel holding him without charges or trial. The married father of five from Dura in the south of the Israeli-occupied West Bank was being held under administrative detention, a practice of arresting suspects for renewable six-month terms without allowing them to view the charges or evidence against them. “His condition is difficult and complex,” said Liad Aviel, spokesperson of the Shamir Medical Centre in Israel where Abu Hawash is being held. The International Committee of the Red Cross said…

BAMAKO: Mali’s interim authorities proposed to its West African neighbours that a transition back to democracy following a 2020 military coup be extended by five years, the foreign minister said in comments broadcast on Saturday. The transitional government initially agreed to hold presidential and legislative elections in February 2022, 18 months after Colonel Assimi Goita led the overthrow of President Boubacar Ibrahim Keita. It has made little progress since then, blaming disorganisation and a rash of Islamist violence. A conference charged with recommending an election timetable said the polls should be delayed by between six months and five years.…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za Even Rahul Dravid can’t explain why India has such a good record at the Wanderers, a venue where conditions aren’t what Indian players grow up with at home. Currently coach of the Indian men’s team, Dravid, was the first Indian captain to lead a side from that country to a Test win in South Africa, doing so at the Wanderers in 2006. In five Tests at the ‘Bullring’ India, quite incredibly, are unbeaten, winning there twice, while there should have been a third triumph there, were it not for rain in 1997. “We’ve done well, even from the time that I played here,” Dravid said yesterday. “For some reason, the boys have always enjoyed playing at the Wanderers. It’s a quicker pitch, but the bounce maybe hasn’t…