Table of contents for 2022-02-01 in Cape Times

Along with working from home and trying new dishes, online dating reached new heights during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to a recent survey conducted by dating app QuackQuack, with people staying behind closed doors, online dating has become the new normal. While it may not provide the intimacy of physical proximity, cuddles, and canoodling, it has undoubtedly assisted people in overcoming their loneliness. Love takes over physical intimacy But the question now is, will dating resume and return to normalcy with the reopening? Due to the Covid outbreak, it is highly unlikely that it will return to pre-infection levels. A survey conducted during the pandemic revealed a paradigm shift in the dating world. People are more connected than ever before, and online connections are becoming an essential part of dating.…

Chevon Booysen Chevon.booysen@inl.co.za THE WEST Coast Black Business Alliance (BBA) has welcomed the high court ruling in which energy company DNG Energy lost its legal challenge against Turkish-owned energy group Karpowership. The legal challenge brought by DNG Energy, in which it alleged corrupt dealings involving government officials had led to Karpowership winning the bulk of the emergency power contract that are set to supply 2 000 megawatts of power to South Africa’s grid, to reduce the risks of load shedding and shortage of electricity, was dismissed and a costs order was made. The government submitted that DNG lost the bid as it didn’t meet its requirements and rejected the allegations made against it. BBA spokesperson in Saldanha, Sammy Claassen, said: “This legal case by DNG Energy Ltd was a…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za ALREADY-stretched motorists and other South Africans are in for another tough year and will have to dig even deeper into their pockets following another petrol hike from midnight. Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe yesterday announced that the petrol will rise by 53 cents a litre, diesel by 80 cents a litre and illuminating paraffin by R1.01 cents a litre. Going into February, 95 octane petrol inland will cost R20.14 per litre, with the same fuel costing R19.42/l at the coast; both fuels will cost just 15 cents less than they did in December. Automobile Association (AA) spokesperson Layton Beard said the large increase in illuminating paraffin in particular would hit poor people hard, as many rely on it for lighting, heating and cooking. He said the…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za PHILIPPI East residents should brace themselves for service delivery delays after two city sewer depot staff were robbed at gunpoint in the area on Sunday. Their work vehicle, a Water and Sanitation vehicle which had all their belongings including cellphones, wallets and other items, was also stolen. Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said the circumstances leading to a robbery were being investigated following the incident in Myezo Drive, Philippi East. He said a 45-year-old man reported being robbed by two armed suspects. By yesterday afternoon, Mayco member for Water and Sanitation Zahid Badroodien had confirmed that the vehicle had been recovered. “Our staff were extremely traumatised and had to call the senior superintendent to pick them up to take them to Philippi police station. The City will not…

ONE is left speechless by the senseless destruction of our rail infrastructure. It is clear that most of it happened and continues to happen to those lines serving the poor. Most of the pylons holding up the cables supplying electric power to motor coaches and locomotives have been stolen or simply taken down to be sold to unscrupulous scrap dealers. Station buildings have been vandalised to such an extent that it would not only cost massive amounts to repair, but would also take much time to restore them. Train lovers have been warning for some time that firstly, vandalism, then the destruction of these buildings along main lines will eventually come to our cities. And it happened on a massive scale when lockdowns started in March 2020. It is hitting…

NEW YORK: Russia and the US faced off yesterday at the UN Security Council over Moscow’s troop build-up on the Ukrainian border, as Western nations intensified their high-stakes diplomatic push to avert open conflict in Europe. With tensions soaring, the US has declared itself ready to push back against any “disinformation” Moscow puts forward in one of the most closely watched UN sessions in years. The US-requested meeting came with fears growing of an imminent incursion into Ukraine, despite Kremlin denials. Russia tried to block the 15-member council from holding the meeting at all – with its envoy to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, accusing the US of trying to “whip up hysteria” by pushing a Security Council debate. But Washington’s UN envoy Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Moscow’s troop build-up justified the…

LOS ANGELES: Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst has died. The 30-year-old lawyer’s family have confirmed she passed away over the weekend, though they did not confirm reports she took her own life after jumping from the 60-storey apartment building in New York where she lived on the ninth floor. Her family said in a statement: “In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie. Her great light was one that inspired others around the world with her beauty and strength. She cared, she loved, she laughed and she shined.”…

The Cyprus Supreme Court yesterday overturned the conviction of a young British woman who had been found guilty of lying about being gang-raped by up to 12 Israeli tourists. Defence lawyers successfully argued there had been a miscarriage of justice when a district court in January 2020 found her guilty of public mischief and handed her a suspended four-month jail term. The woman, now aged 21, had in July 2019 told police she had been raped by the Israeli tourists, aged 15 to 22, in a hotel room in the Mediterranean island’s resort town of Ayia Napa. She was charged after she retracted her initial complaint, but later said she had been pressured to do so by local police. The woman’s family yesterday asked that the rape case be re-investigated…

SYDNEY: The Australian Navy frigate HMAS Adelaide was crippled by a massive power failure after completing a humanitarian mission in Tonga, earlier devastated by a volcanic eruption and tsunami, the ship’s commander, Captain Stuart Watters, said yesterday. “Marine Technical Department have worked throughout the past few days to restore power and get us operational again. We are still experiencing issues with external communications. Everyone onboard is safe,” Watters said. The warship was “stranded” for some time because of a power failure, including the backup power. The warship delivered humanitarian supplies to Tonga last week.…

Sharks chief executive Eduard Coetzee tells a delightful tale of the day he fetched the team’s new scrum coach from King Shaka International Airport. It was the second day of the July looting last year, KwaZulu-Natal was ablaze and smoke was billowing into the east coast sky as a nervous Coetzee drove Akvsenti Giorgadze to Kings Park. Coetzee revealed he was struggling for words as he tried to welcome the coach on what was possibly the darkest day in the history of the province. “But he did not flinch,” Coetzee said. “He said: ‘I am from Georgia. This is nothing.’” They don’t grow shrinking violets in the former Soviet state - Joseph Stalin was a Georgian after all. And the manner in which the Sharks’ scrum has been transformed over…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za The Nedbank Cup Round of 32 begins this Friday with favourites Mamelodi Sundowns playing against Richards Bay. While the Brazilians will be expected to convincingly beat their GladAfrica Championship counterparts, Richards Bay will take confidence from the fact that they eliminated Kaizer Chiefs from the competition last season. Sundowns could hand starts to recent signings Bradley Ralani and Teboho Mokoena in the game as they look to fully integrate the new arrivals into their squad. Friday’s action also sees Stellenbosch FC host Baroka FC. Saturday will see Premiership relegation candidates Swallows FC come up against TS Sporting. Dube Birds coach Dylan Kerr and striker Ruzaigh Gamildien will be fired up after they led Warriors FC to the Compact Cup title after downing Coastal United FC at the…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za SOUTH African households and companies are showing increased appetite to take out loans as economic activity continues ticking up on the back of relaxed Covid-19 restrictions, a sign of positive business sentiment. Data from the SA Reserve Bank (Sarb) yesterday showed that private sector credit extension accelerated to 2.58 percent from a year before in December 2021 after rising by 2.46 percent in November. This was in line with market forecasts of 2.6 percent, marking the 6th straight month of increase in private sector credit and the strongest rise since February last year. Data showed that all the components of credit, except the volatile investment and bills, recorded annual increases, but demand for asset-backed finance seemed to be losing some momentum. The Sarb said…

Staff writer A George man who killed his girlfriend after she refused to have sexual intercourse with him has been sentenced to 15 years behind bars. Collin Heyns was sentenced in the George Magistrate’s Court after he was convicted of Esmeralda Botha’s murder. Heyns was accused of killing Botha on June 4, 2020, in their house in the Rosedale informal settlement in Pacaltsdorp. Neighbours had ignored her calls for help as they were used to domestic violence in the household and they believed it would eventually quieten down. Heyns fled the house after committing the murder, leaving their 6-year-old child, who witnessed the murder, with the body of the mother. The body was discovered the next morning and the accused handed himself over to the police later that same day.…

ZELDA VENTER zelda.venter@inl.co.za THE controversial issue of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia for terminally ill patients will once again come under the spotlight in May. Palliative care doctor Suzanne Walter and her patient Diethelm Harck continue their legal challenge to legalise euthanasia in South Africa. Special arrangements were made in March for the evidence of Harck and Walter to be heard first via a commission headed by Judge Neels Claassen. This was due to their medical conditions. Both suffer from life-threatening illnesses and are not sure what the future holds for them regarding their health and whether they will be able to testify once the court case starts. Their application for an order directing the government to enact legislation which will allow for physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, is due in the…

64 are at high risk, 111 at medium risk, with only 16 stable, mostly in the Western Cape THE retention under provincial government administration of more than 29 struggling municipalities nationwide now clearly heralds a deep-seated crisis. The level of incessant financial difficulties in these municipalities is serious: it is characterised by unfunded budgets, huge budget deficits, persistent power-cut threats from Eskom, infrastructure and service delivery backlogs. Even the ANC NEC lekgotla held on January 22 to 23 recognised the seriousness of the situation, and it has decided to set up a Special Service Delivery cluster, or another appropriate institutional arrangement, to improve overall service delivery in areas such as housing, water and sanitation “in direct response to community concerns about the poor state of this critical infrastructure across several…

Six people died yesterday when a minibus was destroyed by a roadside bomb during an ambush by armed men in northeastern Kenya near the border with Somalia, police said. The assailants opened fire on the 14-seater vehicle after it ran over the explosive device about 8km from the town of Mandera. “Six people were killed during an attack on a vehicle,” said national police spokesperson Bruno Shioso. “A security operation is under way to get the attackers.” There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the assault. A police report said a General Service Unit patrol team, which was on foot and nearby, engaged the attackers, who fled towards the Somali border. The assailants used guns and rocket-propelled grenades during the assault, it added. The minibus was carrying an unknown…

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis yesterday encouraged the people everyone loves to hate - tax collectors - telling them that while they will never win popularity contests, they were vital for the functioning of a fair society. “Your work appears to be thankless ...,” he told a delegation from the Agenzia delle Entrate, Italy’s revenue agency, acknowledging that taxation was often seen as “putting your hands in other people’s pockets.” But Francis said everyone had to pay their fair share of taxes, particularly the wealthy, so that the weakest members of society were not “crushed by the most powerful” people. “In reality, taxation is a sign of legality and justice,” he said. He praised the honesty of those who pay their taxes, denouncing tax evasion and the underground, or off-the-books, economy.…

WASHINGTON: Several historically black colleges and universities in the US received bomb threats yesterday, forcing schools to issue shelter-in- place orders while cancelling classes and operations for the day. Some of the schools that received threats included Albany State University in Georgia, Southern University and A&M College in Louisiana, Howard University in Washington, DC, and Bowie State University in Maryland. “Due to an emergency on campus, classes will meet virtually. Persons on campus should shelter in place,” Bowie State University said on the school’s website. It’s the second time in a month that black colleges and universities have faced bomb threats.…

OUAGADOUGOU: The AU has suspended Burkina Faso from all its activities in response to last week’s military coup, effective until constitutional order is restored, the AU said yesterday. Burkina Faso was already suspended from the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, though it stopped short of imposing sanctions after the January 24 coup that ousted President Roch Kabore. The AU suspended two other West African members, Mali and Guinea, after their own military takeovers last year. The coup in Burkina Faso was the fourth in the region in 18 months. ECOWAS and its international allies have condemned the coup.…

Herman Gibbs herman.gibbs@africannewsagency.com Advocate Tebogo Motlanthe, the chief executive of Safa, has been thrust firmly in the spotlight now that the Kaizer Chiefs/PSL stand-off has reached a critical point. Today, Motlanthe will announce an arbitrator who will adjudicate in the matter involving Chiefs and the PSL. Motlanthe has informed that the two parties have three candidates they can choose from. They were expected to forward their choices by close of business yesterday. The three candidates all enjoy senior council status. They are William Mokhari, Nazeer Cassim and Hilton Epstein. The trio are no strangers to the South African football fraternity as they have worked on many cases relating to the beautiful game. They are all familiar with the workings of the PSL and the National Soccer League’s rule book -…

Dieketseng Maleke dieketseng.maleke@inl.co.za ANGLO American Platinum (Amplats) has agreed to sell its 50 percent share in the Kroondal mine to Sibanye-Stillwater for the grand sum of R1, in a deal that will double its lifespan, sustaining 2 500 jobs until 2029. By 4pm Amplats share price had soared 4 percent to R1 851.92, while Sibanye-Stillwater’s shares were up 1.61 percent at R55.56. Sibanye-Stillwater and Anglo Am- plats have a 50/50 percent share in Kroondal. The deal will nullify the venture, and Sibanye-Stillwater will expand its operations from the low-cost mechanised Kroondal operation in Rustenburg. Amplats said yesterday that is was pleased to sell its assets due to the mine’s short lifespan. Sibanye-Stillwater said yes- terday it would buy Amplats’s stake for R1 and in…

Philippa Larkin philippa.larkin@inl.co.za OCEANA said yesterday that it had been cleared of any wrongdoing by an investigation into its accounting treatment of the group’s 25 percent shareholding in Westbank Fishing held by Daybrook Fisheries, its US subsidi- ary, however, a new accountancy treatment was needed and the fishing company has had to delay the release of its annual results. “There has been no evidence of fraud, misappropriation or loss of funds or management override of controls arising from any of the matters raised,” it said. Oceana had advised shareholders on October 29, 2021, of a delay in publishing year-end results after it was made aware of queries raised by a whistle-blower relating to its US subsidiary. Oceana appointed ENSafrica to carry out an investigation, while its accounting advisory…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za IT’S ALL systems go for the start of the 2022 academic year at the four provincial universities as they are expected to begin welcoming first year students from this week. For UCT, registration and orientation commences today until February 11. The university received 98 800 applications, with more than 50 000 of them for first-time entering undergraduate students. “The university can only make available about 4 000 for first-time entering undergraduate applicants. Once the registration window is complete, we will know how many offers were taken up and whether or not we have under-enrolment in any programme or in the institution as a whole,” said spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala. Teaching and learning at UCT will begin on February 14. UWC spokesperson Gasant Abarder said orientation was expected to…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za PUBLIC Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane yesterday refused to give assurances on when her office’s investigation into President Cyril Ramaphosa would be concluded. Mkhwebane is probing Ramaphosa over comments he apparently made at an ANC national executive committee meeting last year on the use of public money to fund party campaigns. The public protector released several reports yesterday but also took time to provide updates on some of the cases she was investigating and related litigation. Suspended ANC MP Mervyn Dirks is fighting to have Ramaphosa hauled to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) to provide an explanation on the comments, which are contained in a leaked audio recording. “I must indicate that I haven’t even seen the complaint yet. What the public must know is…

Ingredients Method 2 Farmstead pork rib-eye steaks Salt and pepper to taste 1 tsp paprika Olive oil 1 garlic clove; minced 1 punnet exotic mushrooms; sliced 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard 125ml cream 2 tbsp chives/parsley; finely chopped For the sautéed greens: 1 bag tenderstem broccoli/fine beans 1 tbsp olive oil 1 thumb-size piece of ginger; cut into matchsticks 1 garlic clove; sliced Pinch of chilli flakes Salt and pepper to taste Season the pork with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of paprika. Drizzle with olive oil then sear in a hot pan until browned. Place into a preheated 200°C oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove and set aside to rest. Into the same pan, add garlic and mushrooms and sauté until mushrooms are browned. Add mustard and cream, season with salt and…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za SLAIN Chantell Matthyssen’s mother, Carol Petersen, says it feels as if the wheels of justice are not just turning slowly, but have “fallen off”, with yet another delay in justice for her daughter. Petersen, whose daughter’s body was found at Abenrau Farm in Wellington on July 2, 2018, spoke after another delay was announced in trial proceedings against accused Wellington serial killer Johan Williams last week. Williams appeared in the Western Cape High Court on Friday where trial proceedings were set to get under way, but were postponed to April 11. Petersen said it had been a frustrating time for the families who wanted to see justice prevail. “He was not happy with the plea deal the State had offered him, which has now resulted in a…

Chevon Booysen Chevon.booysen@inl.co.za WHILE TV and media personality Katlego Maboe’s publicist has announced that he has been absolved of allegations of misconduct, made by his former partner Monique Muller in October 2020, Muller said this was a “false narrative”. In a statement, publicist Lerato Maleswena said Maboe had been absolved of the charges against him in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court. “The court agreed with the submission of a ‘Point in Limine’ from Mr Maboe’s legal team, ruling that there were no grounds for obtaining the protection order. Furthermore, the court has not made a finding of acts of domestic violence that were allegedly perpetrated against Ms Muller, and as such, the matter has been dismissed. This is a great victory for Mr Maboe, who has maintained his innocence throughout…

THE lack of political will and the absence of accountability has to come to an abrupt end if the government is serious about stopping political killings at the local government level. While political violence including the killings of councillors is a phenomenon that is common in KwaZulu-Natal, other provinces such as Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape are quickly catching on. In the eThekwini Municipality, newly sworn-in councillor Minenhle Mkhize was shot dead last week outside his home in Cliffdale, west of Durban, when he was returning from a family bereavement. On the eve of last year’s local government elections, an ANC councillor candidate, Siyabonga Mkhize, and an ANC member, Mzukisi Nyanga, were gunned down after conducting a door-to-door campaign in Cato Crest, Mayville. In another incident, IFP National Council member…

The Ansar Allah movement (Houthis) that controls northern Yemen yesterday urged people in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to keep away from important infrastructure objects as they may soon come under attack. Earlier in the day, the UAE Defence Ministry said the country’s air defence systems downed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis which caused no casualties. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sare’e also said the movement attacked the UAE capital of Abu-Dhabi with rockets and sent mined drones to Dubai. “The Yemeni armed forces are once again urging UAE nationals, foreigners living there, and companies to stay away from their offices and other vital facilities as they will be targeted in the near future,” Sare’e said in a broadcast of Yemeni TV channel Almasirah. The Houthi attack yesterday coincided…

Jamila Mohammad, a Syrian refugee in her 50s, worked hard with help from her four children to fix her tent, which was damaged by the heavy storm that hit Lebanon over the past few days. As Jamila was removing snow from the top of her tent, she told Xinhua she has been trying hard to protect her children from frosty cold in the absence of heating diesel which has soared in price given the unprecedented financial crisis. The woman, who fled Syria’s war to Bar Elias camp in Lebanon’s Bekaa region, said the snowstorm exacerbated her family’s suffering as the winds and snow almost broke the tent with heavy rain leaking into her shelter and wetting mattresses and pillows. “I have a feeling that death is chasing us everywhere,” she…

KABUL: The Taliban for the first time has appointed a woman as a head of an Afghan hospital, a source at the medical facility said. According to the source, the Health Ministry picked Malalaya Faizi to head the obstetrics and gynecology clinic in the capital of Kabul. After the Taliban takeover in August 2021, the international community has repeatedly expressed concern over women’s rights in Afghanistan under the rule of the movement, which, in turn, pledged to ensure rights are respected. Afghan women also staged protests since the Taliban came to power to demand a slew of rights including to work and education.…

Tehran: A female lion in an Iranian zoo attacked and killed a keeper and escaped with a mate before the pair were re-captured, local media reported. An employee told state broadcaster IRIB: “The lioness, which has been in the zoo for several years, managed to open a door of the cage, get out and then attack the 40-year-old guard who had just brought food to the pair of felines.” He said the animals escaped on Sunday from the zoo in the city of Arak, Markazi province. Amir Hadi, the governor of the province, told state news agency IRNA that after the incident security forces took control of the zoo.…