Inhoudsopgave van 2025-06-17 - Cape Times

Resurging war may force the SA Reserve Bank to put interest rates cut on pause in July The resurging war in the Middle East may force the South African Reserve Bank (Sarb) to put interest rates cut on pause in July as the escalation of oil prices to a three-month high may affect both global and domestic inflation outlooks. This comes as the Sarb last month reduced the policy rate by 25 basis points to 7.25% per annum, and the prime lending rate to 10.75% per annum, and revised down its inflation forecasts as consumer prices remained below the lower band of the 3-6% target range, currently at 2.8%. The Sarb said this reflected the lower starting point, as well as a stronger exchange rate assumption and lower world oil…

In the theatre of corporate leadership, strategy is often presented as a management exercise, being something crafted by executives, presented in compelling slides, and approved by the board before being shelved until the next annual review. But governance theory, particularly King IV, challenges this view. Principle 11 is unambiguous: the governing body should govern risk in a way that supports the organisation in setting and achieving its strategic objectives. That is, strategy cannot be separated from risk, and boards cannot be passive participants in either. From observations of governance practice, it appears that the board’s involvement in strategy tends to be more reactive than generative. Strategic plans are often presented for endorsement rather than developed in close partnership with the board. Even multi-day strategic planning workshops, intended to promote alignment…

In the fast-paced, metrics-driven digital landscape, hard skills often dominate the conversation. Proficiency in coding languages, data analytics, AI implementation, and cloud architecture are seen as the essential, teachable competencies that tech leaders put a strong focus on when hiring and scaling their teams. But as the digital world continues to evolve with increasing speed and complexity, a surprising truth is emerging: soft skills are the true differentiators of success. For digitally led businesses, failing to prioritise soft skills isn't just an oversight, it's a competitive disadvantage. In a space where innovation, speed and adaptability are the currency of success, technical brilliance alone isn't enough. Without the ability to communicate clearly, collaborate across functions, build trust or lead through change and disruption, even the most sophisticated digital solutions can stall…

Vodacom has expanded its footprint across Africa as part of its Vision 2025 strategy, acquiring Vodafone Egypt and extending network connectivity into Ethiopia through a Safaricom-led consortium, CEO Shameel Joosub said in the group's annual report released on Friday. The move has helped Vodacom nearly double its customer base, from 115.5 million in 2020 to 211.3 million in 2025, including Safaricom. Revenue rose from R91 billion to R152.2 billion over the same period, while the company’s profit and revenue profile increasingly reflects its broader, more diversified operations. To meet growing data demand, Vodacom invested R20.3 billion in network infrastructure during the 2025 financial year, down slightly from R20.4 billion the year before. Improved energy availability reduced the need for resilience investments, enabling the group to focus more on network expansion.…

THE ANC has remained unmoved by a criminal complaint against its secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, saying defending outrage against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBV-F) is not a crime. The party was responding to reports that Bergview College principal Jaco Pieterse lodged a criminal complaint against him. Represented by AfriForum’s Private Prosecuting Unit, Pieterse, alleges that Mbalula, along with EFF leader Julius Malema and Eastern Cape Education MEC Fundile Gade, violated his dignity by falsely accusing him of raping a child. Pieterse claims the trio publicly accused him of raping a 7-year-old girl, known as Cwecwe, after her mother suspected that she was raped. Medical reports had since found that there were no traces of sexual assault. Last month the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) stopped pursuing the case saying they did…

SOUTH Africans taking part in the Global March to Gaza (GMTG) have recounted stories of intimidation including detention, and roadblocks by Egyptian authorities in their quest to highlight the plight of Palestinians. Some of them started arriving yesterday with others expected today. The GMTG, a global solidarity movement where on Friday, thousands of citizens from over 50 countries mobilised in a peaceful, civic-led demonstration to “demand justice, humanity, and an end to the ongoing genocide in Gaza”. However, several South African delegates were among those who claimed they were intimidated and had their passports confiscated by Egyptian authorities at various checkpoints during their journey. In a social media post over the weekend, former member of Parliament, and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Mandla Mandela, who was among the SA delegation in attendance,…

THE high court in Kimberly has turned down an application by a man who wanted SAPS to immediately pay him R2 million so that he can relocate to an undisclosed location. He is the only witness to a murder case and had claimed that his life was now in danger as the police divulged his name and details on social media. The applicant, only identified as KM, asked the Kimberley High Court to declare the alleged conduct of the State to be unlawful and unjust for leaking his personal information and to find the State to be in contravention of his constitutional rights. He said he needed R2 million for his relocation, rental, security and living expenses at a location of his choice, without being subjected to the Witness Protection…

Prior to the Lord’s Test the odds on Proteas captain Temba Bavuma hitting the only six of the World Test Championship final would have been fairly long. But, then again, what would the odds have been of a young man hailing from Langa in the Western Cape leading the South African national cricket team to the Holy Grail at the Home of Cricket? I suspect significantly longer. It's almost as if the geographical plates of world cricket have shifted this past week in St John’s Wood. But whether it was just a slight tremor or a full blown earthquake will be seen in the coming months. The World Test Champions are only home for a few days before they cross the border for the first time in more than a…

The Springbok Women returned home on Monday relieved and proud that they executed their mandate in Madagascar at the 2025 Rugby Africa Women's Cup after wins over Uganda, Kenya and Madagascar. This resulted in another continental title and trophy for the South Africans. According to Springbok Women assistant coach Franzel September, the planning stages for this tournament were one thing, but the execution thereof was another and they are pleased that the young team delivered on several objectives planned. “We came here with a clear view of what we wanted out of the tournament,” said September. “It was part of our Rugby World Cup preparations, but we also wanted the players to express themselves out there. “We decided to bring a number of uncapped players here but there was never…

The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has found itself at the centre of controversy after the recent withdrawal of Aeronautical Information Circular (AIC) 18.19, which regulates engine overhauls for aircraft across the private flying sector, light commercial operations, aerial work, and flight training. This controversial decision raises concerns about potential paralysis in the aviation industry, with operators warning that it could ground up to 1 400 aircraft and threaten an astounding 300 000 jobs nationwide. The aviation regulator over the weekend insisted that the withdrawal of the notice, which did not affect commercial airlines, had been implemented after sufficient notice given two extensions since December 2023 that made the longest allowed time for an exemption from applicable regulations. The aviation industry's bone of contention is that there was no…

SA Canegrowers has cautioned once again that the local industry was facing many challenges, not least of which is the increasing risk local growers face from unfair global trade practices. Higgins Mdluli, SA Canegrowers chairman, last week said foreign sugar was currently entering South Africa at prices below the cost of production and below the global sugar price, owing to some foreign governments either heavily subsidising their industries or countries dumping their excess sugar at a loss. Mdluli said for every ton of imported sugar, local sugarcane growers lose R6 000 in income and jobs were imperilled. According to Mdluli, local sugarcane growers were unable to compete with such unfairly subsidised imports, particularly at a time when the industry was also facing a host of other challenges including unpredictable weather…

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has enlisted the legendary designer behind the iPhone to create an irresistible gadget for using generative artificial intelligence (AI). The ability to engage digital assistants as easily as speaking with friends is being built into eyewear, speakers, computers and smartphones, but some argue that the Age of AI calls for a transformational new gizmo. "The products that we're using to deliver and connect us to unimaginable technology are decades old," former Apple chief design officer Jony Ive said when his alliance with OpenAI was announced. "It's just common sense to at least think, surely there's something beyond these legacy products." Sharing no details, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said that a prototype Ive shared with him "is the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever…

In a wide-ranging interview, Hannes Wessels, General Manager for Southern and Francophone Africa at Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume, said while South Africa's conduct regulator, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), has made strides by extending existing financial advisory frameworks to crypto firms, the process remains under-resourced and delayed." "I do believe, though, that a lot more work needs to happen to tailor regulation specifically for crypto asset service providers because our business is very different from, say, insurance brokers," he said. “We’re in the last batch of firms still waiting for our crypto license approval,” Wessels said. “The FSCA has good people who know what they’re doing, but they’re simply under-resourced. You can only do so much with the bandwidth you have.” Wessels touched on…

THE Hawks have set their sights on arresting more suspects linked in an alleged passport fraud syndicate in Durban. Five were arrested in a Home Affairs-led law enforcement operation at the weekend. The operation, supported by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, took place at the uMngeni and Commercial Road offices in Durban. One suspect was found with 226 passports that had been stolen from the uMngeni Road Home Affairs office. Among the five people arrested are a former Home Affairs official from the Prospecton office, a municipal project volunteer at the Commercial Road office, and three members of the public. One of the private citizens was found in possession of the stolen passports, the department said. It said the successful operation was initiated by Home Affairs’ Counter-Corruption Unit following…

THE 46.1% unemployment rate among young people, the worst in the world, is proof that the Government of National Unity (GNU) has no plans to address the crisis, say political analysts. Yesterday marked 49 years since the 1976 Soweto Uprising where scores of youth protested against Afrikaans being enforced as the exclusive medium of instruction in African schools. Unemployment among young people dominated yesterday’s commemoration, with questions being raised about the effectiveness of the GNU since its establishment about a year ago following the May 2024 elections. Young people between the ages of 15 and 34 make up just over half of South Africa’s working-age population, about 20.9 million people. The latest data from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey shows that more than half of young people aged between 18…

ON June 16, 1976, the long simmering frustration, discord and opposition to apartheid was smouldering in South Africa. All it needed was a spark to ignite the rage that bubbled just below the surface. The spark that ignited what became known all over the world as the “Soweto uprising”, started out as a peaceful protest by students in Soweto against the compulsory instruction in Afrikaans of a minimum number of subjects in African schools, then under the department of Bantu Education. As students marched to Orlando stadium to present a petition, the police opened fire with live ammunition. Hector Peterson would be the first student killed. Soweto started burning and South Africa would never be the same again. The “Soweto” uprising spread throughout the country and amongst all black (“Coloured”,…

THE DA-led Drakenstein Municipality has dismissed as misinformation claims that it was illegally in possession of 64 firearms in violation of the Firearms Control Act. The GOOD Party had sounded the alarm that the municipality had allegedly never applied for recognition as an official institution after the Firearms Control Act came into force on 1 July 2004. GOOD councillor Keagen Gertse said the municipality was in breach of Schedule 1 of the Act, which “required non-recognised institutions to surrender such firearms to SAPS”. “Drakenstein is not authorised to own, store, or use firearms. Yet, it continues to do all three, with full knowledge of the law and in blatant defiance of it. This revelation raises serious concerns about the safety of residents and the credibility of the DA’s governance. How…

It is that time of the year when domestic coaching achievements are under the microscope as Premier Soccer League’s panel of judges look at who has made a strong case for the coveted Premier Soccer League (PSL) 'Coach of the Season' title. In the competitive landscape of domestic football, a few coaches like Jose Riveiro (Orlando Pirates), Miguel Cardoso (Mamelodi Sundowns), and Steve Barker (Stellenbosch FC) have captured the attention of fans and pundits alike. However, after a stellar two-and-a-half-year tenure at the helm of Pirates, the Spanish mentor, Riveiro has undeniably made a strong case for the coveted gong. Despite his excellence, a debate in the football community is raging regarding who truly deserves the title. Sundowns' coach, Miguel Cardoso, has also been lauded for his achievements. However, the…

As much as I do not want to add another voice to the fiasco at the recent White House meeting between Trump and President Cyril Ramaphosa it is a starting point for an article about how corruption, crime and food security end up in a concoction of another disaster for the citizens of the country. Ramaphosa stated, in defense of farm murder and genocide accusations that it is not a unique situation as South Africa has a serious problem with crime at all levels. All crime victims and citizens will agree with that statement, although it is the last thing foreign investors want to hear who at consider us as an investment destination. On August, 27, 2024 Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuizen launched a forensic audit into a R500 million…

The so-called sandwich generation, people aged between 30-50 years old, are juggling school runs and zoom meetings, managing grocery lists for two households, and now, trying to make sure mum gets her blood pressure checked while helping their adult children find stable footing in an unforgiving economy. It’s a full-time job. And no one’s really talking about it. “It’s this silent pressure that people in their late 30s to 50s are shouldering. You’re not just raising kids anymore, you’re also parenting upwards. You’re emotionally and often financially responsible for your parents, especially if they couldn’t save enough for retirement. It’s a lot,” Tania Joffe, founder of Unu Health said. South Africa’s sandwich generation is feeling the squeeze. Many elderly parents rely on their children for essentials, not just food and…

US President Donald Trump pocketed more than $57 million from token sales by the crypto venture he and his sons helped launch last year, according to federal financial disclosure forms released by the White House. The more than 230-page document issued by the Office of Government Ethics, dated Friday, lists the US president's holdings including stocks, dividends, real estate and investment portfolios. It showed that Trump, who during his first presidential election campaign in 2016 broke with the long tradition of candidates publishing their income tax returns, raked in $57.4 million from the sale of World Liberty Financial tokens. Trump and his sons helped launch the cryptocurrency investment and lending platform ahead of last year's election, raising conflict of interest concerns especially after he went on to win. He lent…

Weddings in South Africa aren’t just a celebration, they’re a family affair. But if you’ve ever found yourself locked in a cold war over the seating chart or caught in the crossfire of floral preferences, you’ll know the real test isn’t sticking to the budget. It’s navigating the complicated, beautiful, sometimes bonkers relationship between a bride-to-be and her mom. When “yes, mom” feels like “no, me” We all know that moment your mom tears up at your dress fitting, remembers her own wedding, and suddenly, her dreams for your day start to bubble up. Experts believe that it is natural for moms to be invested in their daughter’s wedding day as they have also waited years for the occassion. However, it is vital to establish boundaries as well as a…

On the sidelines of the bedlam that exploded at Lord’s after the Proteas’ etched their names into the history books with a maiden World Test Championship title stood Andrew Breetzke. The South African Cricketers Association chief could not believe what he was witnessing. The outpouring of emotion and joy on every South African’s face within the hallowed ground was a world away from the turmoil he was embroiled in just a couple of months before. Kagiso Rabada had tested positive for recreational drug use, and with the WTC Final on the horizon, Breetze needed to act swiftly in piecing together the best team of legal and medical experts that could formulate a plan to ensure Rabada’s participation at Lord’s. The fact that in a previous life Breetzke was the Chairperson…

As South Africa commemorates Youth Day on 16 June, a wave of youthful talent has emerged in the nation’s football landscape. These young players are not just taking the pitch by storm, but also igniting hopes for Bafana Bafana as they prepare for pivotal tournaments such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) later this year in December. This Youth Day, we highlight the promising prospects that South Africa has to offer. 1 Mbekezeli Mbokazi (19 years, Orlando Pirates) At just 19 years old, Mbokazi has swiftly made his mark in South African football, gaining recognition as a leading contender for the left centre-back position in both Orlando Pirates and Bafana. National team coach Hugo Broos had long expressed the urgent need for a…