Inhoudsopgave van 2022-11-16 - Cape Times

OXFORD Economics Africa has predicted that inflation will fall sharply in 2023 in emerging markets (EM) economies, including South Africa, as global commodity prices are softening. This comes after consumer prices in the US, the largest economy in the world, eased to 7.7% in October from 8.5% in September. Head of global emerging markets research Gabriel Sterne said yesterday that the fall in global commodity price inflation would lead to double-digit declines in annual import price inflation by next year. “Global commodity price inflation is falling and by mid-2023 we expect double-digit declines. We see more downside than upside risks to global commodity prices,” Sterne said. “Most remain 30% higher than prior to Covid-19, even as demand weakens.” US inflatiwon remained high last month but showed tentative signs of moderation,…

LOAD SHEDDING will continue to be implemented over the next six to 12 months due to major capital projects and repairs that will remove more than 2 300MW of generating capacity from the system. The embattled utility yesterday said the country has experienced 155 days of load shedding since January. To limit the stages of load shedding, it said the utility had to heavily rely on the extensive use of open-cycle gas turbines (OCGTs), burning millions of litres of diesel. Eskom COO Jan Oberholzer said: “Due to the vulnerability and unpredictability of the power system, coupled with the major capital projects, maintenance and major repairs to be executed starting during the next few months, the risk of continued load shedding remains quite high”. On December 8, Unit 1 of the…

“WE will never surrender our heritage”, said several Khoi and San leaders who reiterated their opposition to the River Club redevelopment and support for Tauriq Jenkins yesterday. At a press conference with attendees including the IXam, the Nama and the Griqua royal house, indigenous leaders expressed disappointment at the outcome of the first part of the case and their will to keep fighting. The David versus Goliath legal battle last week saw the Western Cape High Court set aside the earlier judgment of Deputy Judge President Patricia Goliath, who had in March interdicted construction at the River Club site. The initial interdict was after the Observatory Civic Association (OCA) and the Goringhaicona Khoi Khoin Indigenous Traditional Council (GKKITC) approached the court to stop the R4.6 billion development from proceeding, citing…

The family of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was likely killed by an Israeli soldier, yesterday praised a US decision to open a probe into her death. “This is an important step,” a statement from the Palestinian-American family said, voicing hope for a “truly independent, credible and thorough probe.” Abu Akleh was killed while covering an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank on May 11. The veteran Al Jazeera reporter was wearing a bulletproof vest marked “Press” and a helmet when she was shot in the head in the Jenin refugee camp, a historic flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Israeli army conceded on September 5 that one of its soldiers had likely shot Abu Akleh after having mistaken her for a militant. The Abu Akleh…

Israel swore in a new parliament yesterday, hours after a deadly attack, as veteran hawk Benjamin Netanyahu holds talks on forming what could be Israel’s most right-wing government. Talks between Netanyahu’s Likud party and its allies – two ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties and the rising far-right Religious Zionism alliance – may take time with Religious Zionism’s controversial leaders, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, demanding key ministerial roles. Ben-Gvir called for “the death penalty for terrorists” following an attack in the Ariel settlement yesterday. Palestinian Mohammed Souf, 18, killed three Israelis in the latest episode of soaring West Bank violence. Ben-Gvir, who has chastised Israel’s security services for not using enough force to counter Palestinian unrest, wants to be public security minister. But the US has urged Netanyahu to name defence and…

NUSA DUA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday underlined the need to ensure collective peace, harmony and security in the world at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia. Referring to the Ukraine conflict, Modi said that global supply chains were in ruins, which had led to a crisis of essential goods globally. “Today’s fertiliser shortage is tomorrow’s food crisis, for which the world will not have a solution. We should build a mutual agreement to maintain the supply chains,” he said. “By 2030, half of our electricity will be generated from renewable sources… affordable finance and sustainable supply of technology to developing countries is essential.” | IANS…

Beijing: Protesters in southern China clashed with police in a rare display of public opposition to anti-Covid-19 measures, videos posted online showed, after lockdowns in the area were extended over a surge in infections. Videos showed hundreds taking to the street in the industrial metropolis of Guangzhou, some tearing down cordons to keep locked-down residents from leaving their homes. The district of more than 1.8 million residents has been the source of the bulk of Guangzhou’s Covid-19 cases. City officials launched mandatory mass testing in nine districts last week, as daily case numbers rose above 1 000. | AFP…

FINANCE Minister Enoch Godongwana has shot down a request to form a panel of experts to determine whether to increase the list of zero-rated food items. This comes after the DA recently made the request and Godongwana undertook to do so when asked in the National Assembly two months ago. The official opposition has been pushing for extended basket of food items to be zero-rated from VAT and subjected to expert analysis. The DA proposed that items should include chicken, beef, tin beef, margarine, peanuts, baby food, tea, coffee and soup powder. In September, Godongwana told the oral question session in the National Assembly that “if a proposal is ‘am I prepared to subject the items to an expert analysis, the answer will be yes’”. This subsequently prompted DA MP…

THE Department of Basic Education’s proposed guidelines for inclusivity at schools, which include unisex bathrooms and gender-neutral uniforms, has received mixed reaction. The guidelines propose that schools allow learners to dress in whatever uniform matches their gender identity or expression, and that schools make provision for unisex bathrooms, among other proposals. The department said the aim of the guidelines was to put in place “measures that will create a safe environment for learners of a different sexual orientation”. Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) secretary-general Sheikh Zaid Dantie has called on parents to voice their concerns. “This continued onslaught on society is relentless and seems to be gaining ground due to the ‘cancel culture’ that exists. “One such recent endeavour is to scrap separate toilets for boys and girls. “While we remain…

WITH the festive season fast approaching, the areas of Vrygrond near Muizenberg, Zwelihle in Hermanus and Dunoon near Milnerton will be provided with mobile police stations. Western Cape police have also received 16 vehicles to bolster their resources and strengthen their efforts to curb escalating crime in communities. On December 15, more than 1 000 new police recruits or trainees will also join the current police offices. However Makhaza residents who campaigned for and waited on a promised “state-of-the-art” police station for the past years will now have to wait for 2023 for the construction of the police station or a temporal structure. This emerged at the Western Cape Safer Festive Season briefing yesterday in Rocklands, Mitchells Plain. Western Cape Police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile together with police management and police…

Malcolm Bidali, 30, a Kenyan security guard expelled from Qatar after complaining about working conditions, is feeling conflicted about watching the World Cup that starts this week. “Looking at the stadiums, I can’t help but wonder how many people have not been paid, how many have suffered terrible working conditions... how many have lost their lives.” Bidali became an outspoken activist for migrant workers after being held for four weeks and then expelled from the Gulf state in 2021. Qatar has faced widespread criticism over its treatment of foreign workers, rights for women and the LGBTQ community in the run-up to the tournament. Rights groups have complained about unpaid wages and unreported deaths on construction sites. Qatar has carried out major reforms that have been praised by international unions but…

MOSCOW: Actor Jim Carrey and writer Margaret Atwood are among 100 Canadians now banned from entering Russia. President Vladimir Putin has forbidden a whole host of celebrities from stepping foot on Russian land for siding with Ukraine amid his invasion of the country. The 60-year-old Canadian-American actor and the 82-year-old Canadian poet and author of The Handmaid’s Tale, join US stars Ben Stiller and Sean Penn in being prohibited from Russia. The list comes as Canada sent $500 million (R8.6 billion) in additional military aid to Ukraine. | Bang Showbiz…

Paris: Sperm count among men worldwide is falling at an accelerated rate after halving over the last 40 years, a large new study said yesterday. The study, led by Israeli epidemiologist Hagai Levine, includes data from more than 57 000 men collected over 223 studies in 53 countries. Between 1973 to 2018, the concentration of sperm in men not known to be infertile fell by more than 51%, from 101.2 million to 49 million sperm per millimetre of semen, the study found. Sperm counts are dropping at a rate of around 1.1% a year. Exposure to pollution, plastics, smoking, drugs, medication and lifestyle could be contributory factors. | AFP…

San Francisco: As several advertisers pause spending on Twitter, GroupM, part of WPP which is the world’s biggest ad company, is telling its clients that buying ads on the platform is now a “high-risk” venture. According to Platformer, GroupM with $60 billion (about R1 trillion) in annual media spend is concerned about Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover. “Given the recent senior departures in key operational areas (specifically Security, Trust & Safety, Compliance), GroupM have updated Twitter’s brand safety guidance to high risk,” the company said. GroupM works with companies like Google, L’Oreal, Bayer, Nestle, Unilever, Coke and Mars. | IANS…

BSG, A TECHNOLOGY consulting firm, announced yesterday that promi- nent businessperson Mteto Nyathi has been appointed as its new executive chairperson as it seeks to scale up both locally and abroad. Nyathi now owns 40% of the company. In a statement, BSG said Nyathi would take over the role of chairperson from founder Greg Reis, and would work closely with its executive team to scale the consulting firm’s impact and grow market share. BSG, an unlisted firm, describes itself as having built a solid foundation in the local market and in the UK. It helps leading brands in financial services and healthcare sectors solve business problems and drive lasting change. Some of its clients have been with the business since 1997, it said. In an interview with Business Report yesterday,…

THE Black Lawyers Association (BLA) has thrown its weight behind the law firms demanding action be taken against Advocate Nazreen Bawa, the evidence leader in the inquiry established to determine Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office. Bawa’s conduct recently came under the spotlight with advocate Muzi Sikhakhane SC accusing her of “perpetuating a stereotype against black people”. Bawa had led evidence, publishing what she claimed was the public protector’s legal fees that were the subject of testimony. These fees included large amounts of money being paid mostly to black firms and legal representatives. Bawa conceded that some of the figures were incorrectly allocated and she apologised for this. However, she denied the racism allegations or the impression that evidence leaders may have tried to shield white…

Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince has embarked on a multi-stop Asian tour, shoring up the Gulf nation’s ties with its biggest energy market and signalling growing independence from Washington amid a bitter row over oil supply. Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s 37-year-old de facto ruler, has joined the Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia this week. The official Saudi Press Agency said the trip would include “a number of Asian countries”. A likely stop is South Korea, where local media report the crown prince will meet business leaders. He is then expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum, starting Friday in Bangkok. The trip comes as Riyadh feuds with Washington over the OPEC+ oil cartel’s October decision to cut production by two million barrels per day. Amid spiralling…

Iranians went on strike in several cities yesterday to commemorate the 2019 protests over fuel prices, a display of dissent that was crushed by security forces in the bloodiest crackdown in the history of the Islamic Republic. The move will add to pressure on Iran’s clerical rulers, who have been battling two months of nationwide protests triggered by the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police. She was arrested for allegedly flouting Iran’s strict dress code. HRANA news agency said 344 people had been killed, including 52 minors. It also reported 40 members of the security forces being killed, in addition to 15 820 people being arrested. The demonstrations have turned into a legitimacy crisis for the clerical establishment, which took power after…

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump was set to launch a fresh White House bid this week, hoping to box out potential Republican rivals and return his false claims of election fraud to the centre of US politics. Trump’s announcement follows a disappointing showing in last week’s midterm congressional elections that many Republicans blame on him. The unusually early launch may well be aimed at fending off potential challengers for the party’s nomination in 2024, including rising star Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, 44, and Trump’s own former vice- president, Mike Pence, 63. A Reuters/Ipsos poll taken before the election showed that 53% of Americans and almost one in four Republicans view Trump unfavourably. The poll showed a similar number of Americans viewing Biden unfavourably. Meanwhile, Trump has defeated his niece, Mary Trump, in…

Abidjan: Ivory Coast will gradually withdraw its troops from the UN peacekeeping force, Minusma, in Mali by August 2023, according to an official letter. Tensions between Abidjan and Bamako have soared since 49 Ivorian solders were arrested upon arrival at Mali’s airport in July and branded mercenaries. Abidjan insists the soldiers were sent as back-up for Minusma. Britain announced it would cut short its troop deployment with Minusma in Mali after relations with the country’s Russian-backed junta soured. It is one of the UN’s biggest peacekeeping operations, with 17 557 troops, police, civilians and volunteers deployed as of June. | AFP…