Table of contents for 2022-06-20 in Cape Times

THE CAPITAL & Counties Properties (Capco) and Shaftesbury merger will create a portfolio mainly in London’s West End of about 670 buildings across 2 000 commercial and residential units. The portfolio will comprise 35 percent retail, 34 percent hospitality and leisure, 17 percent offices and 14 percent residential. The trend precinct has seen a steady return of shoppers and patrons with the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. The Capco and Shaftesbury boards on Friday released details and terms of their “recommended all-share merger” to form a combined group, with the new merged company to be called Shaftesbury Capital once the deal is completed. In terms of the mechanics of the mer- ger, a scheme of arrangement by Shaftes- bury, with the existing Capco sharehold- ing, will…

NEDBANK has suffered the first blow in what has been described as a David and Goliath-like legal battle after the Equality Court sitting in the Western Cape High Court granted the Sekunjalo Group an urgent interdict, with costs, barring the bank from closing any of the companies’ accounts. The bank was also ordered to re-open the companies’ bank accounts that may have been closed. The group had turned to the equality court for an interdict after Nedbank issued it with a notice to terminate its banking facilities, claiming it had suffered reputational damage in banking accounts associated with Sekunjalo Investment Holdings Chairman, Dr Iqbal Survé, and allied companies within the Group. The court found that Sekunjalo had been prejudiced by the decisions to unbank the group. Sekunjalo’s legal representative, advocate…

MUCH has been said about Ryanair making South African passport holders write and pass a test in Afrikaans. The concept is of course idiotic. But what is being misunderstood is that the test is purely a symptom of a much larger and more serious underlying problem. The concern is that, from all accounts, there are many false South African passports in circulation and Ryanair is with a futile effort trying to weed them out. While media attention and people’s comments have focused on the test, there appears to be no concern about false passports. Surely, this should be the main concern, eg where do they come from? Are corrupt public servants supplying them? Are they printed in someone’s garage, and what do they cost, among others? What are the authorities…

CHAD Louw, the country’s youngest mayor in history could find himself out of his post when the Patriotic Alliance (PA) in the Oudtshoorn Municipality tables a motion of no confidence in him, charging he had failed to provide political leadership. PA member Suzane Jansen issued a letter to municipal manager Walter Hendricks last week requesting the motion to be tabled at the next council meeting. Louw was appointed mayor after the November 2021 local government elections, at the age of 24, making him the youngest mayor in the country. Failure to provide political leadership in service delivery and failure to report attempted fraud of R3 million to council were among reasons cited as motivation for the motion. Louw yesterday said they would pursue the matter. PA national executive committee (NEC)…

The Gugulethu Development Forum (GDF) has expressed frustration over shootings and brazen criminals who rob people in their homes after a 56-year-old woman was shot and killed in her house at the weekend. NY 50 residents are still reeling in shock following the murder at about 8.30am on Friday. Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said the woman was shot during an apparent robbery at her home and was later admitted to hospital where she died due to her wounds. “The circumstances (leading) to the incident are being investigated and arrests are yet to be made,” said Traut. Gugulethu is ranked at number 20 in the top 30 stations in the country where robberies at premises take place, according to the fourth-quarter crime statistics. The station also made it to the country’s…

Child brides, female genital mutilation rife on continent SPARE a thought for the 130 million child brides and nearly 140 million girls and women who have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) in Africa, of which over 40 million have experienced both harmful practices. Spare a thought for the nearly 2 million child brides in South Africa, where 364 000 were married or in union before the age of 15, and 1.6 million before the age of 18, where one in 28 young women were married or in union in childhood. One of the oft-forgotten aspects of the gender discourse is this pernicious practice of child and forced marriages. A staggering 650 million girls and women alive today were married in childhood. These statistics of shame are highlighted in…

The UN has turned to crowdfunding to raise the $80 million (R1.3 billion) needed to remove more than a million barrels of oil from a decaying tanker in the Red Sea and prevent a potential environmental catastrophe. The FSO Safer tanker has been rusting away off Yemen’s coast since 2015. Sitting in the delicate ecosystem of the Red Sea, famous for its corals and fish, it threatens to release about four times the amount of crude oil spilled off Alaska in the Exxon Valdez disaster of 1989. Seawater has seeped into the engine room, according to UN officials who are sounding the alarm that a tank rupture or explosion would wreak havoc on marine life, vital shipping lanes and regional economies. For years, the UN has sought to launch a…

VICTORIA: Seychelles’ President Wavel Ramkalawan has reaffirmed his country’s commitment to protect the rights of every citizen and foreigner on its land through its constitution. Ramkalawan made the statement while speaking at the annual flag-raising ceremony on Saturday at the Lavwa Lanasyon Monument (the Voice of the Nation) in Peace Park on Mahe to mark Constitution Day. This year is 29 years since the constitution of Seychelles was adopted through a referendum on June 18, 1993, paving the way for a Third Republic and the introduction of a multi-party system. |…

LUCKNOW: Indian authorities suspended internet services in several parts of the eastern state of Bihar in a bid to stop gatherings and violent protests over a new military recruitment plan for short tenures, police officials said on Saturday. The Agnipath or “path of fire” system aims to bring more people into the military on four-year contracts and to cut pension costs. Protesters say the plan will limit opportunities for permanent jobs with the defence forces. Social media platforms have been blocked in 15 of 38 districts of Bihar, said Sanjay Singh, a senior police official in the state, where protesters burned passenger trains and buses. |…

TORONTO: Canada’s government has introduced a bill to hold people criminally responsible if they harm someone else while intoxicated. It follows a Supreme Court ruling last month that said people could claim extreme intoxication as a defence. “Extreme intoxication” is a state akin to automatism in which a person is not acting voluntarily and its use as a defence requires the introduction of expert evidence. Being drunk or high is not a defence to criminal charges in Canada. The bill, introduced on Friday, is meant to provide liability for “extremely intoxicated violence” in a way that complies with Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. |…

Road Freight Association, Busa call on President Ramaphosa to deploy military TRANSPORT Minister Fikile Mbalula was yesterday evening locked in a meeting with logistics stakeholders to quell the fires lit over the last week by truck drivers who blocked South Africa’s main road arteries to protest against the hiring of foreign truck drivers, which was enforced with a heavy hand by the South African Police Services. The Road Freight Association was among the organisations that confirmed being in a closed meeting with the minister for the scheduled gathering that started late yesterday afternoon and was going well into the evening yesterday. Solutions were sought after the private sector threw the strongest challenge yet of government’s resolve to keep the economy running as the N3 to Durban ports and beyond was…

THE FIGHT against inflation has already led to outsized interest rate hikes by central banks in major economies and further hikes are foreseen in the coming months. The likelihood of a global recession is increasingly unavoidable as higher borrowing costs and high energy prices as a result of the Ukraine conflict will hit hard. The ratio of spare capacity to employment in the US tends to lead the US yield curve at major turning points in the business cycle. Since December last year the ratio is testing the lows that occurred before the 2000, 2008 and 2020 recessions. Yes, the US economy was running at full capacity. With near-full employment in the US and elsewhere it means that business will be reluctant to expand. Capital goods orders are likely to…

A CARROT and stick approach, where excellence is rewarded and mediocrity and maladministration is punished, is what’s needed to turn local government around, says the South African Local Government Association (Salga). The organisation noted with disappointment the findings of the auditor-general’s report painting a deteriorating quality of governance and accountability fuelled by a lack of consequence management in municipalities. In a statement yesterday, Salga said despite this, it had noted pockets of excellence where councils had consistently achieved clean audits since the 2016-17 financial year in the Senqu, Midvaal, Okhahlamba, Cape Winelands, Overstrand, Witzenberg and Cape Agulhas municipalities. “The slight increase in the number of clean audits from 27 to 41 municipalities also inspires hope for greater improvement in the future. The 14 municipalities which improved to a clean audit…

WHILE we snuggle up in our homes with hot cooked meals, dressed in warm clothing, under our blankets, heaters and a/c switched on, commuting in our cars, living in well-looked-after neighbourhoods, let’s spare a thought for those who are very less fortunate than us – for those who do not have a roof over their head, no electricity and clean water, hot cooked meals, warm clothing and bedding, live in makeshift structures they call a home, etc. We have the luxuries we can afford, and yet we complain. We waste, we always want more. How many of us share what we have when we have too much? A few, maybe. The most vulnerable are experiencing the hardship that winter brings to the Cape – the hunger, cold and rain. These…

I AM disgusted at the performance of our so-called cricket side in India. For starters Temba Bavuma, if he must be in the side, put him in at number eleven as he has no idea whatsoever what 20-over cricket is all about. He has no idea of pitch conditions as he has erred on two occasions in reading the pitch. As for Mark Boucher, and I in no way disrespect the enormous contribution he has made to SA cricket, I am in doubt as to his capabilities as a coach after watching another pathetic performance by our team (on Friday). Whatever the result of this series I do not give our side any hope of ever winning any trophies. Why have we suddenly decided on a “pinch hitter” that went…

A MOTHER’S attempt to get her estranged husband to pay a further R22 346 in maintenance costs per month for their adult daughter, towards, among others, a new car valued at R420 000 and equestrian activities, has failed in the Western Cape High Court. The parents, who share the adult-dependent child, are still in the midst of wrapping up divorce proceedings. Previously, high court Judge Derek Wille granted the applicant (on behalf of her adult daughter), some relief which included R25 000 per month and medical aid costs. The claims by the applicant against the father, and which were dismissed were: the costs of the adult-dependent child’s horse-riding activities; a new vehicle for the adult-dependent child to the value of R420 000, and paying all the adult-dependent child’s tertiary educational…

BURUNDI informal settlement residents near Mfuleni who forcefully occupied Chris Hani Hall, have vowed to stay there until their homes were no longer flooded with rainwater. About 60 residents have occupied the hall since Thursday, saying their ward councillor wanted them out but he would not provide an alternative. A resident whose house was flooded, Xolisani Mngcwengi, said he had lost hope. “When our houses were flooding, we called our ward councillor to come and have a look at the situation. “He did not respond. After hours, we as residents decided to occupy the hall. “He came with law enforcement officers and told us to leave the hall because that was his working place. “We questioned him about why he did not come when we called him, and why he…

LAST year President Ramaphosa took steps to block any attempt to reveal CR17 contributions. Today he is fighting for his political survival in light of the burglary at his farm and violation of crucial steps that he should have taken to alert the law enforcement institutions about the theft of $4 million. Ramaphosa is almost invariably guilty of pervasive gross moral dereliction of duty. It was Michael Mayalo who said: “A crime, like an onion, has many layers to it.” It is indeed tragic and sad that virtually all our leaders over the past 20 years have been steadfastly impervious to shame. What is alarming is that our crop of leaders are a symptom of a societal problem.They are a reflection, a mirror held up to South African society. What…

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned allies to prepare for a long war in Ukraine, urging sustained support for Kyiv or risk “the greatest victory for aggression” since World War II. In an article in The Sunday Times (UK), Johnson said Ukraine’s foreign backers should hold their nerve to ensure it has “the strategic endurance to survive and eventually prevail”. Johnson made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Friday, a day after European leaders from France, Germany, Italy and Romania were in the Ukrainian capital to back the country’s EU ambitions. Johnson offered President Volody- myr Zelenskiy a ramped-up military training programme to help in its fight against Russian forces. “Time is now the vital factor,” Johnson wrote in a 1 000-word article. “Everything will depend on whether Ukraine…

Lebanese caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati called on all political parties to expedite the selection of a new premier who can form a new cabinet capable of dealing with Lebanon’s steep crisis. Lebanon does not have the luxury of time to address its problems, he said, adding that any delay in addressing the country’s crisis will cost the Lebanese more in the future, Xinhua news agency reported. Mikati said he had no objections to being appointed as prime minister to form a new cabinet as “he has never hesitated to take responsibility and serve the country, especially in critical and dangerous stages”. The caretaker government was considered to have resigned with the start of the mandate of the newly elected parliament on May 22. Members of the new parliament will…

New York: Julian Assange’s father and brother said they were counting on European legislators to stop Britain from extraditing him to the US, and welcomed a promise of citizenship by French leftist politician Jean-Luc Melenchon. “I think there’s a great chance of stopping this extradition. We have great support among the European nations,” said Gabriel Shipton, Assange’s brother. The Assange case has become a cause celebre for media freedom and his supporters accuse the US of trying to muzzle reporting of legitimate security concerns. The WikiLeaks founder is wanted to face trial for violating the US Espionage Act by publishing military and diplomatic files in 2010 and could face up to 175 years in jail if found guilty, although the exact sentence is difficult to estimate. On Friday the British…

Addis Ababa: The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has said that security forces executed residents in Gambella, suspecting them of collaborating with rebels who attacked the city last week. The assault on Tuesday triggered a gunfight between security forces and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), a rebel group which is branded a terrorist organisation by the government. After soldiers repelled the attack by the OLA and a local armed group, “residents faced various human rights abuses at the hands of the Gambella regional… forces,” the state-affiliated independent rights body EHRC said while calling for an investigation. |…

THE annual South African Child Gauge has revealed that up to 20% of children will develop a mental disorder or a neurodevelopmental disability during childhood. In fact, the annual review of the situation of the country’s children reported that the worrying statistic of children being hard hit by mental disorders was just the tip of the iceberg. The review, released to coincide with Youth Day last week, was published by the Children’s Institute a UCT, in partnership with Unicef SA, the DSI-National Research Foundation’s Centre for Excellence in Human Development, Wits, the Standard Bank Tutuwa Community Foundation as well as the Lego Foundation. The 2021/22 issue focused on the Child and Adolescent Mental Health, under the theme: “Promoting Sustainable Livelihoods and Resilience of Young People for a Better Tomorrow.” This…

THE government has put on hold the lifestyle audit for members of the executive pending the submission of the final report of the Zondo Commission. Acting Public Service and Administration Minister Thulas Nxesi was responding to parliamentary questions from DA MP Leon Schreiber, who asked for the reasons why cabinet ministers had not yet undergone lifestyle audits. President Cyril Ramaphosa promised lifestyle audits for ministers during his State of the Nation Address in 2019. Nxesi said his department did not have a mandate to perform lifestyle audits for members of Cabinet. However, Nxesi said the presidency had in March acknowledged that the introduction of lifestyle audits for ministers took far longer than originally anticipated. The lifestyle audit for senior public servants had already begun and was now to be extended…

Almost as of Yesterday is a chapter in Rev Dr Allan Boesak’s Selfless Revolutionaries. This is the last of a two-part series. WE UNDERSTOOD that a genuine revolution was about fundamentally addressing and transforming systems of injustice, exploitation and oppression into structures and systems of justice and dignity. We gradually came to understand that the issue was not just race, but also class. Over and above that, moreover, our understanding was shaped by what Martin Luther King jr called “a revolution of values”: decency, integrity, honesty, courage, virtue, self-sacrificial love for one’s people”. For such “selfless revolutionaries” as Biko called them, people would be over profits, justice would be inclusive and compassionate, dignity would be irreplaceable. For them, martyrdom would not be sought, but sacrifices, if called for, would be…

A SIMPLE question for Mr Ace Magashule: If you are innocent of the charges against you, how come by now you haven’t sued the pants off the accusers? They are serious charges branding you a thief. If I were in your boots, and guiltless, I’ll wipe the floor with them and put them in the poor house. For an innocent man, you’re taking a lot on the chin. Court appearances… And having to step down from a leadership post not only target your integrity and dignity, but those of your family and followers. Or are you prepared to be the sacrificial lamb? Forgive us for being tempted into siding with what appears to be hard documented evidence.…

About R300 000 has been allocated to the Noluthando School for the Deaf in Khayelitsha to ensure the school is more wheelchair-accessible. This is after the portfolio committee on basic education conducted an oversight visit to some schools in the Western Cape earlier this year. The committee made a report after a number of findings, including improvement of infrastructure and improving corrective maintenance. At the special needs school the committee recommended that the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) support the school, including by making it more wheelchair friendly. “The main aim was to ensure learners receive the necessary assistance and support. “As the school was not wheelchair friendly, it had done what it could to change the situation with limited funds. With respect to infrastructure, the school reported some leaking…

THE woman who has accused disgraced SA National Parks (SANParks) chief executive Fundisile Mketeni of assault and sexual harassment, was allegedly told that no one would believe her, according to a police report. Mketeni was dismissed from the top job earlier this month after an internal SANParks probe found him guilty of six charges brought against him. The process was chaired by an independent professional and resulted in a ruling and recommended sanction being delivered to the board in May 2022, SANParks said. “Notwithstanding the outcomes of the criminal proceedings against the CEO, the board decision was based on the CEO being found guilty of 6 of the 7 charges levelled against the CEO, based on his having breached the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct Policy and the Disciplinary…

ON THURSDAY, June 16, coinciding with Youth Day, the Pinkie’s Chow Team, as well as the community bade a sad farewell to its beloved founder, Hajji Abduraghman Galant, fondly known as “Pinkie”. He was loved by many for his humour and selfless nature. Pinkie, 65, formerly from Draper Street, Claremont, was the youngest son of Achmat “Aggies” Galant and Gadija Gaidin. The Galant sons and family are well known for their community, academic and religious work, cultural entertainment as well as sport. Before the pandemic, Pinkie and his team fed up to 500 people three times a week with hot meals in Hanover Park. Or they would make soup, fruit packs, pap, and/or sandwiches. They would also try to expand to other areas with volunteers to Mitchells Plain, Philippi/Schaapkraal/Grassy…

President Joe Biden has distanced himself from a coming encounter with controversial Saudi leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, saying the reason for his trip to the oil-rich nation was not to meet the prince. Biden plans to attend a regional Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Saudi Arabia next month. The White House said he plans to meet the formal leader, King Salman and his team, notably de facto leader, Prince Mohammed, also referred to as MBS. US intelligence blames Prince Mohammed for the 2018 murder of Saudi-born critic Jamal Khashoggi, a US resident who wrote for The Washington Post. Asked by reporters about how he would handle the subject when he meets the prince, Biden said, “The same way I’ve been handling it. I’m not going to meet…

Mali’s transitional parliament has approved a draft electoral law, a measure designed to ease the return of the country to civilian rule. The bill must be approved by the head of the military junta, President Assimi Goita, before it becomes law. The military government has said that once the law is adopted it will propose a timetable for a return to democracy. West African leaders slapped stringent economic and financial sanctions on Mali in January, following two military coups last year. The 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) imposed the measures after the Malian army said it would hold on to power for five years. After Ecowas piled on the pressure, the junta reduced that time frame to two years but the regional body insists it must leave…

London: Britain’s biggest strike action on the railway network in over 30 years will go ahead after talks over pay broke down, the Rail Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) union said. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said there had been discussions in recent weeks with rail infrastructure body Network Rail, train companies and the London Underground. But he said that “no viable settlements” were found. More than 50 000 workers will take part in a three-day national strike tomorrow, on Thursday and on Saturday. London Underground workers will also stage a 24-hour walkout tomorrow. |…

HARARE: Zimbabwe government workers have rejected a below- inflation, 100% wage hike offer, with a state health workers union Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions saying it would begin a jobs boycott today. The workers are pushing the government for a $840 (R13 500) a month payment in US dollars, saying their wages have been eroded by inflation, which rose to 131.7% last month. The lowest paid government worker earns 18 000 Zimbabwe dollars ($53.18 or R852). The government faces additional pressure from nurses and doctors, who have called for a strike, starting today. |…