Table of contents for 2023-07-13 in Cape Times

IN yet another legal challenge against the embattled Road Accident Fund (RAF), its new, discriminatory directive is being challenged in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria. The matter involves whether all foreigners – or only those able to provide proof of being in the country legally at the time of injury – can claim compensation here. Kirstie Haslam, a partner at DSC Attorneys, said that up to last year, RAF compensation was available to any person injured in a road accident in South Africa, regardless of their immigration status. This principle is stated clearly by the government, which holds that the RAF provides compulsory cover to all users of South African roads, citizens and foreigners, against injuries sustained or death arising from accidents involving motor vehicles within the borders of South…

Truck-torching likely to be organised crime, not random While Police Minister Bheki Cele insists that law enforcement authorities have learnt past lessons from the July 2021 unrest, crime experts yesterday questioned the handling of the truck attacks, saying it was a long-standing matter that had not been addressed. Cele revealed in a briefing yesterday that 12 people of interest, had been identified. The attacks saw 21 trucks burnt ​in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga over the past few days. Gareth Newham, head of Justice and Violence Prevention at the Institute for Security Studies, said the torching and attacks on trucks had been going on for years. “In 2019, crime intelligence identified that there was a criminal syndicate involved in the burning and hijacking of trucks. “Unfortunately the crime intelligence involved in…

THE FAMILY of Good Hope Plasterers (GHP) director, Ridwaan Rajah, who maintains his innocence, said the suspended imprisonment sentence he received this week was a “travesty of justice”. They also alleged a “poor investigation” led to Rajah’s 25-day incarceration. Rajah, 47, was sentenced at the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court following his conviction on theft and perjury charges in April. Rajah and his company Good Hope Plasterers, trading as Good Hope Construction, were contracted by the Department of Public Works (DPW) for internal and external renovations to the parliamentary precinct in 2010. Hawks spokesperson, Siyabulela Vukubi, said: “After (GHP’s) work was certified to be finally completed, the DPW submitted a proposed final account to (Rajah) in the amount of R10.8 million which was not accepted. The accused instituted a notice…

The PUBLIC Service Commission (PSC) said a well-functioning criminal justice system (CJS) was vital to ensuring that citizens were safe. The total backlog in forensic cases was standing at 300 722 in 2020/21. The data for 2021/22, which shows a backlog of 308 186, reflects a (2.4%) increase in backlogs from the previous financial year. The commission said the functioning of the criminal justice system was dependent on the effective service delivery of all role-players to ensure that there was an overall decrease in crime and renewed trust by citizens in the CJS. The SAPS forensic science laboratories (FSLs) are a key player in the criminal justice system, with the mandate to support the investigation of crime through the processing of crime scenes, the analysis of forensic…

AS THE world grapples with the urgent need to address climate change and promote sustainable practices, South African companies are increasingly striving to incorporate environmentally friendly measures into their operations. However, despite these efforts, sustainability at the individual level remains elusive, as people deal with multiple issues and prioritise immediate concerns over long-term environmental considerations. With a history marred by socio-economic challenges, South Africa’s business organisations have long focused on economic growth and job creation. In recent years, however, an increasing number of businesses have recognised the importance of sustainable practices to secure long-term viability and contribute to a healthier environment. One of the primary hurdles companies face is the economic strain associated with transitioning to environmentally friendly alternatives. Renewable energy sources, eco-friendly materials, and sustainable supply chains often come…

The US, Britain and global allies prepared to unveil new security assurances for Ukraine at a Nato summit yesterday, designed to protect the country from future attacks while Kyiv strives towards membership of the alliance. The prospect of long-term protection from members of the world’s most powerful military bloc comes a day after President Volodymyr Zelensky decried as “absurd” Nato’s refusal to offer an invite or timetable for Ukraine’s entry into the alliance. Ukraine has been pushing for rapid Nato membership while fighting a Russian invasion unleashed in February last year that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions. Instead, a declaration by the G7 world’s most industrialised countries “will set out how allies will support Ukraine over the coming years to end the war and deter and respond…

JERUSALEM: Israeli prosecutors filed terrorism-related charges yesterday against a Jewish settler accused of vandalising a mosque as part of anti-Palestinian rampages in the occupied West Bank last month that drew US demands for accountability. The spree of vandalism and arson by hundreds of settlers in several villages and towns followed the June 20 killing of four Israelis by Hamas gunmen. The defendant, in his early 30s, was among “a large number (of) rioters” who threw objects at buildings in Orif village, wrecked furniture and windows in its mosque and ripped up and threw to the floor copies of the Qu’ran, the indictment said. | Reuters…

Wellington: New Zealand saw a net migration loss of 13 400 people to Australia in 2022, compared with a net migration loss of 5 400 in 2021, according to estimates released by the national statistics department yesterday. “The net migration loss to Australia in 2022 is the largest for a calendar year since 2013, but well below the largest net loss of 43 700 in the March 2012 year,” Stats NZ’s population indicators manager Tehseen Islam said. Traditionally, there has been a net migration loss from New Zealand to Australia, reports Xinhua news agency citing Stats NZ. This averaged about 30 000 a year during 2004-2013. | ians…

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visited Kenyan President William Ruto and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni yesterday in a bid to strengthen ties as he embarked on the first trip by an Iranian leader to Africa in 11 years. The visit comes as the Islamic Republic tries to shore up diplomatic support to ease its international isolation, with Raisi due to travel to Zimbabwe tomorrow. Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani earlier expressed optimism that the trip could help bolster economic and trade ties with African nations.…

South African netball captain Bongi Msomi admits that if someone had told her 16-year-old self she would compete at four editions of the Netball World Cup, she would have laughed at them. Stepping onto a netball court for the first time as a teenager, the now 35-year-old, could also never have envisioned that she would one day lead her side to a first ever Netball World Cup on home soil. With the event now a matter of weeks away, Msomi is relishing the prospect of meeting up with her SPAR Proteas teammates in Cape Town this week as they put the finishing touches to their preparations ahead of the tournament. Many have played against each other for their respective teams in the local Telkom Netball League (TNL), but will now…

Proteas fast bowler Kagiso Rabada says it is his “will to win” that continues to make him one of the best fast bowlers in the world. At the Cricket South Africa Awards last Friday, Rabada was chosen as the Test Player of the Year. After featuring among the top five Test wicket-takers in the world this past season, the award was well deserved. The first Test of the 2021/23 World Test Championship cycle, on Boxing Day against India, Rabada wasn’t at his best and then-captain Dean Elgar communicated the same message to Rabada. But in the following two Tests of the Freedom Trophy series, Rabada was back to his old self, taking wickets all around. On tour in New Zealand, Rabada was pick of the bowlers and some will say…

THE National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) is probing a complaint against the City, after the GOOD Party submitted a formal request asking it to reject the municipality’s electricity rate hike which came into effect on July 1. The City had approved electricity tariff increases of 17.6%, while Nersa had approved a guideline increase of 15.1% for all municipalities. The basis for this, Nersa explained, is Eskom's increase of 18.49% for bulk supply to municipalities. The bulk purchases represent 74.23% of the total costs incurred by licensees. Last week Nersa ruled that the eThekwini Municipality cannot impose an 18.49% tariff increase for electricity and instead must stick to the 15.1% increase it had recommended. Good Cape Town councillor responsible for Finance, Anton Louw, said: “Following Nersa’s rejection of eThekweni’s proposed…

ONE of the mothers of the seven Camps Bay FC players who will be unable to compete in Sweden’s upcoming Gothia Cup youth soccer tournament after they were denied visas, has detailed the pain his son experienced. “It’s the send off today and we’ve been crying uncontrollably. “It is a few more hours until the team flies out and we clearly have no joy. It’s tough, but I need to be strong for him and remind him that life isn’t always fair and we have to keep it moving. We trust the situation could turn around but if it doesn’t, I believe that God has bigger plans for these young boys,” said Nombuso Mashangu. The Swedish Migration Court denied the players’ travel documentation because their unabridged birth certificates did not…

CORRUPTION is the air that wildlife crime breathes; it is one of the key enablers of widespread and large-scale wildlife trafficking and one of the biggest obstacles to effective law enforcement. This is according to the Wildlife Justice Commission’s new report focusing on the role of corruption as one of the most important enabling factors behind wildlife crime. The report, “Dirty Money: The Role of Corruption in Enabling Wildlife Crime”, presents a collection of case examples to illustrate the mechanisms and modalities of corruption in real terms – how it facilitates the movement of wildlife shipments along all stages of the supply chain from source to market, and how it can serve criminality by obstructing the criminal justice response, allowing criminal networks to operate with impunity. The report also highlights…

IN what is suspected to be a drug-related shooting, six people were killed and four wounded in Kwanobuhle, a township in Kariega which is growing notorious for mass murders. It is alleged that at about 7.40pm on Tuesday, three men stormed a home in Mdledle Street and opened fire on residents standing near the house and those inside. The house is suspected to have been a drug den, and was among houses that were recently raided. According to Eastern Cape police spokesperson Priscilla Naidu, the suspects first shot two women who were at the gate. One of them died at the scene. The suspects continued with the attack, shooting eight more people. “Six people (five men and one woman) were shot dead and four people injured. The wounded were taken…

ONLY a president that promised citizens heaven and earth but delivered very little if anything would hide under the excuse that his or her administration was the most challenged. Leaders who deliver or even appear to be delivering on their promises have no trouble explaining to the electorate; in fact they hardly come up with excuses because their work does the talking. Madiba was that kind of a president. Certainly President Cyril Ramaphosa falls out of that category by miles. He has a reason for that though. That's because his administration has been the most challenged. That is what he wants South Africans to believe. He, of course, is laying the foundation for when he and his ANC comrades visit our homes to plead for votes for next year’s crucial…

North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) off its east coast yesterday, prompting condemnations from leaders of South Korea and Japan who met on the sidelines of a Nato summit. The launch came after heated complaints from North Korea in recent days, accusing American spy planes of violating airspace in its economic zones, condemning a recent visit to South Korea by an American nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine, and promising to take steps in reaction. The ICBM flew for 74 minutes to an altitude of 6 000 km and range of 1 000 km, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said, in what would be the longest ever flight time for a North Korean missile. Japan’s Coast Guard had predicted the missile would fall about 550km east of…

Authorities in Senegal have disputed reports as “unfounded” that 300 people travelling on three migrant boats from Senegal to Spain’s Canary Islands disappeared last week. But the migrant aid group that originally reported the missing boats, Walking Borders, said it believed the people were still missing. Walking Borders on Sunday said two boats, one carrying about 65 people and the other with between 50 and 60 on board, had been missing for 15 days since they left Senegal for Spain. A third boat left on June 27 with about 200 people aboard it said, adding that all three departed from Kafountine in southern Senegal. Spain’s coastguard said on Monday it sent a rescue plane to look for the third boat. But Senegal’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday cast doubt on what…

SEOUL: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol asked to send South Korean experts to monitor the planned release of water from Japan’s tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear plant during a meeting yesterday with the Japanese prime minister, Yoon’s office said. The two leaders held a meeting on the sidelines of the Nato summit in Lithuania, during which they also condemned North Korea’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile as a serious provocation that escalates tension. Yoon has been pushing to mend strained ties with Tokyo following years of feuds over historical issues which undercut cooperation between the key US Asian allies. | Reuters…

Jakarta: The Indonesian resort haven of Bali will impose a 150 000 rupiah ($10) tax on tourists from next year to preserve its culture, officials said yesterday. Tourist-dependent Bali attracts millions of foreign visitors annually and the beach-dotted island is trying to capitalise on its popularity to boost its coffers and protect its tropical allure. “The payment of a fee for foreign tourists applies only one time during their visit to Bali,” Governor I Wayan Koster told local lawmakers. The fee will have to be paid electronically and will apply to foreign tourists entering Bali from abroad or from other parts of Indonesia, he said. | AFP…

INDUSTRY pundits have welcomed the newly appointed Transnet board chairperson, Andile Sangqu, saying his work experience at the Minerals Council and mining group Anglo American will stand him in good stead to help turn around the struggling logistics utility. Top priorities for Sangqu to tackle is grass roots rail operational efficiency and the financial performance of Transnet. In making the appointment yesterday, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan said the “appointments would put Transnet on a firm strategic path that provided critical expertise, experience and acumen for Transnet to optimally and strategically execute on its roadmap”. Industry pundits said the utility, which is in a precarious position with defunct rail systems that have cost the mining industry at least R50 billion a year due to its inefficiency, needs an experienced…

The SOUTH African Weather Service has issued a warning alerting residents to expect cold conditions in most parts of the country over the next few days, with snow in high-lying areas This is due to the passage of an intense cold front that is expected to affect the eastern parts of the country. When the weather is cold outside, you could hibernate and survive on takeaways for the next few days or you could master an easy cold-weather recipe that will defrost your heart and stomach. Think hearty soups, casseroles, bakes and beyond. To get you started, here is a roasted Thai green sweet potato soup recipe, with crisps, that will warm you up during the cold front. Roasted Thai green sweet potato soup Ingredients 250g sweet potatoes, peeled and…

For the browned sage butter: • 125g butter • A handful sage leaves (woody stalks removed) For mushroom risotto: (serves 4) • 400g mixed exotic mushrooms • 10ml olive oil • 15ml butter • 1 onion, finely chopped • 2 cups arborio rice • 3 sprigs thyme, woody stalks removed • 180ml dry white wine • about 1.5L good quality chicken stock, warmed • Salt and pepper • 1/3 cup (180ml) finely grated Parmesan cheese In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and bring to a simmer until butter turns a light golden colour. Add sage leaves and turn off heat, swirling the pan to cover the leaves all over in butter. Set aside to cool while you make the risotto. Divide mushrooms in half. Chop one half…

IN exchange for bribes, lower-level officials allegedly warned traffickers of law enforcement operations and immigration officials allegedly facilitated undocumented entry for traffickers at land and air border points. The Department of Social Development (DSD) is also alleged to have returned survivors to traffickers instead of referring them to care. This is according to the Trafficking in Persons Report by the US Department of State which provides an overview of the state of human trafficking as well as covering government efforts from April 2022 to March 2023. “Observers and government officials continued to report widespread corruption particularly among Department of Home Affairs, the DSD, SAPS and Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI). Observers reported high-level law enforcement officials obstructed trafficking investigations. Home Affairs arrested 22 immigration officials for corruption related to…

It has been about three days since a tuckshop owner and her assistant disappeared in what is suspected to be an abduction near East London in the Eastern Cape at the weekend. A search is under way with the families of Zoleka Gantana, 57, and 27-year-old Kholosa Mpunga now praying for their safe return. Gantana’s daughter, Nobuntu Gatana who is the Eastern Cape Correctional Services spokesperson, said they suspected the incident happened on Saturday night. “We are not sure when it happened, but I was notified by a neighbour on Sunday morning after they noticed that the shop had been raided and that my mother and Kholosa were missing. “We believe this was a robbery that turned into a kidnapping because some food items have been stolen. They are missing…

Kenyan officers yesterday fired tear gas at protesters who defied a police ban to join an anti-government demonstration called by opposition leader Raila Odinga against tax hikes. Major roads in several cities in western Kenya, where Odinga commands significant support, were deserted as protesters took to the streets. Shops were shut and security was tight in the capital Nairobi, where police deployed tear gas against stone-throwing demonstrators in the slums of Mathare and Kibera. Tear gas was also used to disperse crowds vandalising a highway connecting Nairobi to the port city of Mombasa. The clashes followed rallies in several cities last week that saw six people killed, according to the interior ministry, and rights campaigners accuse police of being heavy-handed. Odinga told reporters the police were responsible for protesters’ deaths.…

Britain’s Thames Water is on a more stable financial footing after investors this week pledged a huge cash injection to help manage a debt and environmental crisis, but big improvements are still needed, the regulator said yesterday. Concerns about Thames Water’s financial resilience and shareholder appetite to invest extra cash had forced the government to consider a nationalisation plan, and company bosses to go before parliament to explain the situation. Appearing before a parliamentary committee convened yesterday to quiz Thames Water chiefs, regulator Ofwat and ministers about the crisis, Ofwat CEO David Black defended the privatised model, saying it had led to 190 billion pounds ($245.2 billion) of investment over three decades. However, there was more work to do to cope with the challenges of climate change and population…

PARIS: France will step up security measures for the country’s annual July 14 Bastille Day national festival, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said yesterday, after the country was hit by riots following the deadly police shooting of a teenager near Paris. Darmanin said that 130 000 police would be mobilised from this evening onwards. Helicopters and special police units would also be on standby, he said. Riots broke out at the end of last month after police shot dead a 17-year-old of Algerian and Moroccan descent. The riots have since subsided but police fear unrest on the evening of the July 14 public holiday. | Reuters…

LONDON: Actor Kevin Spacey told British police he had never groped anyone but said he had had numerous one-night stands and might have made some clumsy passes at people, a London court heard yesterday. The Oscar-winner is on trial at Southwark Crown Court where he denies a dozen charges of historic sex offences against four men committed in Britain between 2001 and 2013. The accusers have said the 63-year-old had aggressively groped them or in one case performed oral sex while the complainant was passed out. Yesterday, the prosecution read statements to the jury that Spacey had provided to detectives during five interviews carried out in New York and London when the separate accusations were put to him. Spacey is expected to give evidence in person when the defence begins…

Former Springbok teammates Faf de Klerk and Malcolm Marx were magnanimous yesterday as they spoke of Frans Steyn in glowing terms from Auckland. The duo is in the thick of it preparing for a mammoth clash against the All Blacks in the second round of the Rugby Championship at Mount Smart Stadium, and took some time out to speak to the media regarding that match and Steyn. The utility back announced his retirement from rugby on Tuesday due to a knee injury sustained earlier this year while on Cheetahs duty, ending his illustrious career. Both Marx and De Klerk spoke with pride as they recalled their time with the 36-year-old. Said Marx: “He is an unbelievable person and even a better rugby player. “The career that he has had is…