Table of contents for 2022-03-10 in Cape Times

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za BUSINESS confidence in South Africa remained in contractionary territory despite slightly improving at the beginning of this year, buoyed by strong domestic sales and exports. However, Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) yesterday warned that business sentiment could well be dealt a blow by geopolitical tension in eastern Europe between Russia and Ukraine. The RMB/BER Business Confidence Index (BCI) increased to 46 points in the first quarter of 2022 after remaining unchanged at 43 points in the fourth quarter of 2021. This means that business confidence this quarter reached its highest level since the second quarter of 2021 before the July civil unrest. Although this is just below the neutral- 50 mark reached in the second half of last year, RMB said the latest reading was nonetheless…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za THE recently-formed Universities Alliance South Africa (Uasa) says it will soon file papers at the Constitutional Court against nine higher learning institutions over their mandatory vaccine policies. The organisation, whose aim is to represent the interests of university students and staff who are against the vaccine mandates, is preparing to take action over what they say is “irrational, medically unjustified, and unlawful Covid-19 vaccination policy”. This came after staff, students and visitors in several universities were required to be vaccinated in order to access lecture rooms, university residences and events. The institutions which include Stellenbosch University (SU) and UWC were given until Tuesday to abandon their mandatory vaccine policies or face legal action. However the organisations attorney, Stephen May, said unfortunately they did not get the types…

Odwa Mkentane odwa.mkentane@inl.co.za THE EFF has described a Twitter post by Stellenbosch University (SU) on International Women’s Day “as a conspicuous display and celebration of whiteness”. The outrage comes after the university had on International Women’s Day tweeted a picture of women in its top management, who were almost all white. With the picture, the tweet read that under the theme “Break the Bias”, women in top management would share their views around the achievement of women’s equality. However the tweet was later deleted after receiving backlash from Twitter followers. EFF provincial spokesperson Wandisile Kasibe said the party was “disgusted” but not surprised by the “blatant racism” displayed by SU. “International Women’s Day is a global initiative intended to celebrate women regardless of their colour, religion or creed and yet…

CALM may have been restored but the storm appears to be far from over. That is the warning we are sounding to our inept government, as we did in our editorial last week about the dangers of self-appointed community organisations targeting certain groups in society in the name of fighting crime. The ink of that editorial had barely dried when clashes erupted between members of a local grouping and foreign nationals in Alexandra township, Johannesburg, on Monday. Members of the so-called Operation Dudula, which has been leading the “inspections”, have been quick to claim they cannot be blamed for the violence as there could be another grouping. However, they have not condemned these actions. Central to our argument last week was, what happens when those targeted are armed with the…

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan, the effective leaders of their countries, have declined US requests to speak with President Joe Biden in recent weeks, reported The Wall Street Journal. Washington has been scrambling to drum up more international support for its sanctions policy, targeting Russia in the face of the country’s special operation to “demilitarise and de-nazify” Ukraine, while also hoping to contain surging oil prices. However, Saudi and Emirati officials have been increasingly vocal in their criticism of US policy in the Gulf and Middle East, US officials were cited by the publication as saying. “There was some expectation of a phone call, but it didn’t happen … It was part of turning on…

New York: A sexual assault lawsuit brought in New York against Prince Andrew by his accuser Virginia Giuffre, pictured, has been formally dismissed after the disgraced British royal paid a financial settlement, court documents showed this week. In February, the parties had settled out of court for an undisclosed sum, sparing the second son of Queen Elizabeth II the public humiliation of a trial. Both parties filed a “stipulation of dismissal” of the case in federal court in New York, which was signed by Judge Lewis Kaplan on Tuesday.…

The release of Tanzanian opposition leader Freeman Mbowe last week raised hopes of an easing of political freedoms in the nation, but observers say much more is needed to turn the page on years of authoritarian rule. The surprise move last Friday by prosecutors to drop terrorism charges against Mbowe, who had spent seven months in prison, was followed by a meeting hours later between him and President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the pair promising to defend democracy. The meeting revived the optimism that had accompanied Hassan’s appointment last March after the death of her autocratic predecessor, John Magufuli, with the then new president reaching out to the opposition and reopening banned media outlets. But her presidency fell under a shadow when Mbowe was arrested in July, along with other officials…

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s fuel import plans have been disrupted by a rapid spike in global crude prices after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, leaving the crisis-hit island nation struggling to pay for diesel amid power cuts as fuel pumps run dry, officials said. With foreign reserves plummeting 70% in the last two years to just $2.36 billion (about R35.8bn) by the end of January, Sri Lanka faces its worst economic crisis in years as crude stands at about $130 a barrel, or a near doubling since early December. “We are facing a very challenging situation,” KDR Olga, the secretary of the energy ministry, told Reuters yesterday.…

THE goalkeeper position is one that requires a great deal of stability and consistency. However, the 2021/22 season has seen an unfamiliar trend of rotation emerging amongst DStv Premiership clubs. Brandon Peterson of Kaizer Chiefs made his third start of the season in the recent Soweto Derby, taking over from Daniel Akpeyi, who had played majority of the league games in the Amakhosi set-up. A similar system is also employed at Chippa United, Golden Arrows, Marumo Gallants, Baroka and Swallows FC. Those that have managed to find a constant figure in the last line of defence have benefited from the reliability and solidity that it provides. IOL Sports' Smiso Msomi looks at the favourites for 2021/2022 Goalkeeper of the Season award. Dennis Onyango The legendary Ugandan international has once again…

Ingredients Method 8-10 pieces of chicken 1 tbsp cooking oil 500g red ripe tomatoes, washed, chopped or liquidised and/or tin of chopped tomatoes 3 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 large onion, chopped 1 tsp salt or to taste 2 green chillies, chopped 2 tsp tomato paste 3 potatoes, peeled and sliced into quarters 2 tsp sugar or to taste Heat the oil in a big, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onions in the oil until soft and golden brown. Add the chicken pieces and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes to brown slightly. Add the chopped or liquidised tomatoes, garlic, salt, chillies and tomato paste and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook until they are soft. Add the sugar last and cook for…

Staff writer THE World Health Organization in Lesotho is optimising Covid-19 vaccine uptake among 12- to 17-year-olds through training teachers and school boards. Schools were highly disrupted by the pandemic, closing for over a year and for some introducing online learning was a struggle for many students and teachers. “With the introduction of the Pfizer vaccine, eligible for 12- to 17-year-olds, massive hope for the full-time schooling of children is evident. The Ministry of Education in Lesotho is directing maximum effort to ensure that every student receives a high-quality education while working to safeguard the health, safety, and well-being of students, families, teachers, and staff,” WHO Lesotho said. Fourteen-year-old Thabiso Motsoeneng is one of a few young people who decided without hesitation to take the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine in December…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za THE Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has reacted with dismay to the announcement that Golden Arrow Bus Services (Gabs) will be hiking fares from next week, saying it will impact the poorest of the poor. The bus service announced on Wednesday that it would implement an interim fare increase of 8% across the board as of March 14, adding that further increases may become necessary as the year progresses. Gabs General Manager Derick Meyer said the conditions of the company’s interim operating contract with the Western Cape government made provision for fare adjustments in order to mitigate the effects of operational cost increases. “Considering the current global unrest and the accompanying economic effects, it is clear that the South African economy is going to continue…

With global tension running high over the past two weeks due to the conflict in Ukraine, the world has placed a microscope on elements that are critical for defining personal freedom, human rights and sovereignty. The ability to uphold rights and freedoms has been a yardstick to ensure the highest standards and quality of life are upheld as best as possible the world over. This is also meant to set the tone for how countries relate to one another. Our inability to accurately and objectively assess a country’s commitment to human rights and civil liberties is based on the fact that the general discourse is biased and convoluted. The most blatant and recent example of the skewed discourse of power has been the limited and one-side reporting of the Ukraine…

Security forces in eastern Chad killed at least 13 demonstrators, including a 12-year-old boy, who were protesting peacefully at a time of ethnic friction in their region, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said yesterday. People in the town of Abeche rallied against a plan to inaugurate an official who comes from the Arab community at a site reputedly reserved for the sultan of the native Ouaddaien community. On January 24, thousands of protesters were violently dispersed by soldiers, who killed three people and injured at least 40, HRW said in a joint statement with the Chadian Convention for the Defence of Human Rights. The following day, at a funeral for those who had died, “soldiers indiscriminately shot live rounds again, killing an additional 10 people and injuring at least 40”, they…

LOS ANGELES: Kelly Clarkson, 39, has settled her divorce from Brandon Blackstock, 45. The Because of You hitmaker, who first filed for divorce in June 2020, has agreed to pay her ex-husband $45 601(about R693 000) a month in child support for their children River, 7, and Remington, 5, until they turn 18, as well as £115 000 (about R2.3million) in spousal support until January 31, 2024. According to documents obtained by The Blast, the singer and talk show host will also pay Blackstock a whopping $1 326 161 as a once-off payment. The pair have agreed to joint custody of their children. However, they will live with Kelly in Los Angeles. It was previously reported that Brandon wanted to quit his job as a talent manager to become a…

Hyderabad: After nearly 48 hours, rescue workers yesterday retrieved bodies of three men from a mine of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL). The bodies of safety manager Jayaraj, mine assistant manager Chaitanya Teja and a worker Srikanth were pulled out from the mine at Adriyala Longwall Project mine in Ramagundam of Godavarikhani in Peddapalli district. They were buried on Monday under a heavy layer of coal which came crashing down from the top of the mine. A total of six employees were trapped 600m deep inside the mine after the roof collapsed. Two of them were rescued the same day.…

Guatemala City: Guatemala’s Congress yesterday approved a law that punishes abortion with up to 25 years in prison and prohibits same-sex marriage and teaching about sexual diversity in schools. Proposed by the conservative Viva Party, the law for the protection of life and the family was unexpectedly approved by a large majority of lawmakers including allies of President Alejandro Giammattei. The legislation had been on ice since 2018 and still has to be published in the official gazette to come into force. The penalty for an abortion was increased from between five to 10 years to 25 years.…

WILL she play, won’t she play? That remains the Lizelle Lee dilemma ahead of the Proteas’ second women’s World Cup game against Pakistan at Mount Maunganui tomorrow. Lee has been “training well” with her teammates all week since being discharged from the mandatory seven-day quarantine period last Sunday, but the Proteas team management have yet to confirm whether the blockbusting opener will indeed take her place in the starting XI. There’s no doubt that Lee will be given every opportunity to fulfil her fitness obligations with the Proteas particularly lacking her immense power at the top of order, but in the same breath they would dare not risk a long-term injury with the tournament still in its infancy stages. The impact of Lee’s absence, which was originally due…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za Financial constraints have hindered axed community safety MEC Albert Fritz from contesting his dismissal from the premier’s Cabinet. In a “final statement”, Fritz, who maintains his innocence, said: “I have taken legal advice and, based on input of counsel, I have decided and realised that I simply do not have the financial resources to embark upon litigation in the high court, regardless of the clear administrative and legal injustices that exist. “This is something I deeply regret. “However, as previously stated, I am waiting for the complainants to lay criminal charges as previously indicated, at which a competent test of my innocence will be clear beyond any reasonable doubt,” said Fritz. Fritz said he would now focus on his “new projects as a private citizen”. Premier Alan…

Siphokazi Vuso and Chevon Booysen A NUMBER of medical experts providing expert medical opinions to the Road Accident Fund (RAF) say they have written to acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo to withdraw their completed reports due to unpaid invoices. They allege RAF only recently informed all medical experts appointed by its former panel of attorneys that they were not authorised to perform these services, which were conducted since 2015, and will therefore not be paid. They said they had since written to Zondo to withdraw their completed opinions that have not yet been used in court. But RAF chief executive, Collins Letsoalo, said the approach was part of a “concerted effort” to distort what the real dispute between them and RAF was. Mariëtte Minnie, director of MMB Made Easy, which…

Staff writer LIMITING alcohol sales or imposing restrictions are not effective in reducing intake in people classified as heavy episodic drinkers. Heavy episodic drinkers consumed more alcohol than usual during both increased and decreased lockdown restrictions, according to a UCT research study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, which also found that this category reported drinking more alcohol because they felt stressed, felt a need to relax, and felt bored. Researchers conducted a survey on Facebook from July to November 2020 with 798 participants, 68.4% female. Fewer people categorised as heavy episodic drinkers thought alcohol restrictions were a good incentive to reduce their alcohol intake. Most reported buying alcohol illegally during bans on alcohol sales. The odds of being classified as a heavy episodic drinker…

Odwa Mkentane odwa.mkentane@inl.co.za MORE than 100 organisations are challenging the government’s alleged plans to disconnect the analogue TV signal of over 14 million people on March 31. The organisations will gather at the People’s Assembly to #SaveFreeTV at 10am today in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, as well as online. Sthe Khuluse, from the Right2Know Campaign, said millions of people would lose access to vital news, information and education. “Free TV is critical to enabling our rights to free expression and access to information,” said Khuluse. People’s Media Consortium spokesperson Hassan Logart said that the communication system would now be further “privatised”. SOS Coalition’s Rehad Desai said: “It is hard to see how the SABC will survive when they lose over a third of their audience overnight.” Meanwhile, the Department of…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za THE grieving family of 8-year-old Bunono Bango from Khayelitasha believe if City lifeguards at Trafalgar Swimming Pool in Woodstock had all been on duty their daughter could have been saved from drowning. However, only one lifeguard was allegedly on duty monitoring hundreds of bathers while others were on their lunch breaks. What was meant to be a fun day in the water ended tragically when Bunono drowned on February 27. A nine-year old relative who had also struggled in the water, was saved. In an emotional send-off, the Site C family laid their princess, dancer and big-hearted child to rest yesterday. The Isikhokelo Primary School in Khayelitsha also held a memorial service for their Grade 3 pupil last Friday. According to her 25-year-old sister Unathi Bango, she…

Legislative reforms needed to protect rights of black women There is something telling from the experience of women like Queen Sibongile Zulu and Agnes Sithole, who have resorted to the courts to fight for their dignity and protect what is theirs. A country that continues to endure the uncomfortable reality that, even 25 years into our constitutional democracy, which envisages equal protection of everyone by the law, black people continue pushing against the remnants of the oppressive and discriminatory laws of the apartheid regime due to neglect by politicians, needs to grow up and get real, fast. That was the tone of the milestone Constitutional Court decision in the 2021 Sithole case, in which the provisions of the Matrimonial Property Act of 1984 were declared unconstitutional and invalid. They maintained…

HONG KONG is rushing to build facilities for Covid-19 patients, with Reuters drone footage showing construction work in full swing after a temporary bridge linking the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen to the Asian financial hub opened at the weekend. As a surge in Covid-19 cases overwhelms Hong Kong’s healthcare facilities, authorities have deployed mainland medical and construction workers, as well as building materials, to speed up efforts to contain an outbreak of the virus. Drone footage over the rural Hong Kong district of Lok Ma Chau close to the border with China showed a huge building site next to fish ponds and lush wetlands, with the glistening skyscrapers of Shenzhen towering in the background. Dozens of makeshift tents and a steady stream of trucks taking materials across the new…

Protests erupted yesterday in Iraq’s impoverished south over a rise in food prices that officials attributed to the conflict in Ukraine. For about a week, the price of cooking oils and flour have skyrocketed in local markets as government officials have sought to address growing anger with various statements and measures. More than 500 protesters gathered in a central square in the southern city of Nasiriyah – a flashpoint of anti-corruption protests in 2019. “The rise in prices is strangling us, whether it is bread or other food products,” retired teacher Hassan Kazem said. “We can barely make ends meet.” On Tuesday, the Iraqi government announced measures to confront the increase in international prices. These included a monthly allowance of about $70 for pensioners whose income does not exceed one…

MEXICO CITY: More than 40 people sustained injuries during feminist demonstrations on International Women’s Day in the capital of Mexico, the city’s Ministry of Citizen Security said yesterday. “The Rescue Squad and Medical Emergencies provided more than 40 medical services [to people who suffered from] dehydration, heat stroke and others. Only eight people were transferred to hospitals, six of them police officers,” the ministry wrote on Twitter. According to Secretary of the Government of Mexico City, Marti Batrez, 75 000 women participated in the march. Groups of extremists among the participants engaged in vandalism on the march.…

Singapore: Rights groups yesterday mounted a fresh eleventh-hour clemency appeal for a Malaysian man facing execution in Singapore for drug offences, saying he has mental and psychological disabilities. Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, now 34, was arrested in 2009 for trafficking a small amount of heroin into Singapore, which has some of the world’s toughest drug laws. He was handed a then mandatory death sentence. He was scheduled to be hanged in November but the verdict sparked criticism due to concerns that he has intellectual disabilities, with the EU and British billionaire Richard Branson among those condemning it.…

Smiso Msomi smiso.msomi@inl.co.za PITSO Mosimane will reportedly take home a whopping salary of R60 million a year following the extension of his contract with Africa’s club of the century, Al Ahly. Mosimane’s contract has been extended by two years, a deal that confirms Al Ahly’s confident in the South African mentor. The R2.5m a month salary excludes bonuses. While his critics have argued that Mosimane does not deserve a contract renewal with the African football kings, the statistics tell a very positive story about the former Mamelodi Sundowns coach. Mosimane has been in Egypt for about two years now and has won two back-to-back CAF Champions League and Super Cup titles. He also won his second consecutive Club World Cup bronze medal with the Red Devils, becoming the first manager…