Table of contents for 2024-01-15 in Cape Times

EQUITY markets on the JSE remained uncertain and nervous last week, due to a lack of fresh domestic market and economic data. The news from the US – that its inflation rate went up to 3.4% in December 2023, up from a five-month low of 3.1% in November, and the core inflation rate is sticky at 3.9%; and, that the US unemployment rate remained at 3.7% in December (year-on-year) – was negative for share prices. The data indicates the US Federal Reserve will keep its bank rate the same for a longer period than was expected. On the JSE, the All Share Index lost a further -1%, and now already trades -4% down for the year to date, and -6% over last January this time. The Industrial board moved…

from page 1 of South Africa makes it inappropriate to bring the case in the first place. He should immediately issue a sincere mea culpa for that incendiary claim,” he said. Walsh said that the Biden administration had been outmanoeuvred by the Ramaphosa administration, as the government of South Africa has had to consider what the implications would be, but continued nonetheless. “And they clearly considered the implications and they clearly continue to make decisions which create more and more tension in the relationship because they feel like that’s in their national interest, or it’s in the ANC’s political interest to do that,” Walsh said. “The Biden administration is responsible for the hyper-politicisation of Agoa that’s happened, and I think it’s gonna be very hard for the administration to be…

HIGHER Education Minister Blade Nzimande has expressed the department’s readiness to implement a funding model for the ‘missing middle’ students as R3.8 billion has been set aside for the 2024 academic year. The first phase of the new comprehensive funding model will ensure that these students who are not supported by the National Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and funding policy are able to access financial support from the government in the form of a loan to pursue their studies. For years calls for financial aid or an income contingent system for the ‘missing middle’ students have been made due to ballooning student debt, which had accumulated at more than R700 million. Nzimande said the funding model would be rolled out gradually with the first phase expected to fund 47%,…

AN ORDAINED pastor of a church started the new year off with bad news as a court ordered that he had to forfeit half of his wife’s R7 million pension during their divorce, as he was a “bad husband” during their marriage. The wife told the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, that he can keep their matrimonial home, but she wanted his hands off her pension money. The divorce was instituted by the wife after she and the husband have not been living together for more than 13 years. The parties were married in 1983 in community of property – which ordinarily would mean that the couple had to split their assets upon divorce. The wife claimed a forfeiture of her pension benefits in relation to the husband primarily on…

AS the 2024 academic year gets under way, the Western Cape Department of Education (WCED) has come under fire for its unplaced learner crisis, as civic organisations dismissed budget constraints as a valid excuse, citing the need for effective planning and upholding its constitutional obligations. In a statement, the WCED said it was “fighting to place learners despite massive budget cut(s)” adding that they had received 609 new applications in the first 10 days of January 2024, and was still busy placing 2 636 Grade 1 and 8 learners. Parents for Equal Education SA (Peesa) founder Vanessa le Roux said the placement crisis is not new. “Each and every year we have to deal with all the lies this department is feeding the public, they are the biggest contributing factor…

THE proposed above-inflation national minimum wage undermines the central purpose of the National Minimum Wage Act, which is to advance economic development and social justice. National Minimum Wage (NMW) decisions should be made in the best interests of all the citizens of South Africa. But by hiking the NMW above the level of the Consumer Price Index, the commission has in effect favoured an estimated 3.8 million citizens who are now set to benefit from increases beyond the purpose of a national minimum wage. By contrast, 7.8 million unemployed persons would as a result have fewer employment opportunities due to the impact on the economy of an above-inflation increase. Our economy’s ability to create employment and reduce poverty is in a dire state, deteriorating with every poor decision. The…

AS AN avid cricket follower and lover of the game, I was more than a little disappointed and saddened while watching the New Year’s Test at Newlands between South Africa and India. Having enjoyed the pleasure of playing representative cricket for many wonderful years on the hallowed Newlands turf, it was embarrassing to witness what was being dished up over the two days, on a cricket pitch that one could hardly say had been remotely correctly prepared for a five-day Test match. This particularly in view of fantastic cricketing weather, a large cricket-loving public in attendance along with a number of retired South African cricketing greats, including Vince van der Bijl, Jimmy Cook, Graeme Smith, Adrian Kuiper, Shaun Pollock and Vernon Philander on commentary. Surely after all these years the…

Group represents 44% of global oil production and almost a third of global GDP AT THE dawn of this year, five more countries became full members of BRICS, a transnational association which until then consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and thus became BRICS+ (BRICS Plus), totalling 10 countries. Egypt is located in north-east Africa and partly on the Sinai Peninsula, which is an isthmus to south-west Asia, thus making it a transcontinental country. It is considered a major power in North Africa, the Mediterranean Sea, the Islamic world and the Red Sea. A populous – with 104.5 million inhabitants – historical Arab country with a long and very rich cultural heritage and at the same time the most powerful military country in Africa that controls the…

Five migrants died and a sixth was in critical condition yesterday after trying to reach Britain from northern France in freezing temperatures, the French maritime authority said. More than 30 people were rescued, the maritime prefecture said in a statement. The fatalities were the first reported migrant deaths on the Channel in 2024. Authorities said four migrants died overnight, while a fifth body was found later on the beach. The group was attempting to reach a vessel off the resort town of Wimereux when their small boat got into difficulty around 2am local time, the maritime prefecture said. The crew of a French tow vessel, the Abeille Normandie, went to the rescue and spotted “unconscious and lifeless people” in the water, an official said, estimating the water temperature at 9°C.…

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi warned yesterday that any steps towards Taiwan’s independence would be “harshly punished” after the self-ruled island defied Beijing’s warnings and chose pro-sovereignty candidate Lai Ching-te as president. Voters on the island spurned Beijing’s repeated calls not to vote for Lai, delivering a comfortable victory for a man China’s ruling Communist Party sees as a dangerous separatist. Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its territory and has not renounced force to bring it under its control, responded to Lai’s victory by saying it would not change the “inevitable trend of China’s reunification”. “If anyone on the island of Taiwan thinks of going for independence, they will be trying to split apart China’s territory, and will certainly be harshly punished by both history and the law,” Wang Yi…

Athens: The crew of a tanker seized by Iran’s navy last week in a row with the US are safe, the vessel’s Greek owners said yesterday. Empire Navigation said in a statement that an associate had contacted Iranian authorities and reported that “all the crew members on board the St Nikolas are safe and in good health.” The company added that it had not been itself able to directly contact the 19-man crew of the Marshall Islands-flagged ship, which is anchored in the vicinity of the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. Eighteen Filipinos and a Greek are on board. Iran said it had seized the ship off Oman to retaliate for the “theft” of its oil by the US. | AFP…

WELLINGTON: Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s former prime minister, has married her longtime partner, Clarke Gayford, after their original wedding plans in 2022 were scuttled by an outbreak of the omicron coronavirus variant. Ardern, 43, and Gayford, 47, the the host of a TV fishing show, were engaged for five years before Saturday’s private ceremony at a vineyard on New Zealand’s North Island. Ardern, who won international praise for her leadership during the coronavirus pandemic and the 2019 mass shootings in Christchurch, announced her resignation a year ago. At the time, she cited getting married as one of her goals, along with spending more time with the couple’s daughter, Neve, 5. | The Washington Post…

IT’S all systems go as Bafana Bafana declared a clean bill of health ahead of their 2023 Afcon opener in Ivory Coast against Mali tomorrow evening (kick-off 10pm). After arriving in Abidjan on Friday night, Bafana have settled in at the base in Korhogo in northern Ivory Coast. Over the past two days, they have worked out at a training facility, Lycée Moderne de Korhogo. According to Safa Media, the Mamelodi Sundowns trio of Ronwen Williams, Themba Zwane and Mothobi Mvala, who were on the squad's injury list a few days ago, have all recovered fully and are raring to go. National team coach Hugo Broos will likely include the trio in the starting line-up. Mvala is a ball-playing defender who Broos has deployed in the central defence in the…

MI Cape Town’s Rassie van der Dussen is hoping his sparkling SA20 century will be the catalyst “for a good couple of months” leading up to the ICC T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the US later this year. Van der Dussen claimed centre stage at the Wanderers on Saturday with a brilliant 104 off only 50 balls (9x4, 6x6) to help MI Cape Town to open their season 2 account with a convincing 98-run victory over the Joburg Super Kings. It was a crucial innings not just for MI Cape Town, but also for Van der Dussen. The veteran right-hander is no longer an automatic choice in the Proteas T20 side, particularly with coach Rob Walter keen on providing opportunities for the new brigade consisting of Matthew Breetzke…

prices climbed on Friday after US and UK forces launched strikes against Iran-backed Huthi rebels, while global stocks were mixed following the kick-off of corporate earnings season. Crude prices spiked more than 4% before ebbing somewhat after the allies launched deadly strikes after weeks of disruptive rebel attacks on Red Sea shipping. “The fear in the oil market is that the region is on an unpredictable escalating path, where at some point down the road, supply of oil will indeed in the end be lost,” said Bjarne Schieldrop, the chief commodities analyst at SEB bank. He said that if the US-UK attacks were unsuccessful in destroying Huthi weapons, and oil tankers need to go around Africa, then up to 80 million barrels will be locked in transit sending prices up…

EMPLOYMENT and Labour Minister TW Nxesi yesterday advised young people that there is “no job that is a dirty job … there is no job that is too lowly – that is how we start out to gain experience and work our way up from the bottom”. Speaking at a Jobs Fair at Bushbuckridge he said taking an entry-level job might lead to processes of discovery of talents and skills. He told the community paper- work was at an advanced stage to open a labour centre to bring Departmental services to the community. He said the unemployed should use the Jobs Fair to launch their entry or re-entry into the job market “in this constrained jobs en- vironment”. The gravity of the unemploy- ment situation was exhibited by the 1…

THE Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has come under scrutiny as 97 prisoners have been rearrested after being released through President Cyril Ramaphosa’s special remission process, which saw 16 472 inmates set free last year. More than half of the rearrests were recorded in the Western Cape - where 53 of the 97 were readmitted to prison, according to a parliamentary reply. Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, answered questions posed by DA MP, Janho Engelbrecht around the rearrests, on December 1, last year. South African Sentenced and Awaiting Trialist Prisoners' Organisation (Sasapo) founder and chairperson, Phindile Zweni, said these are concerning figures and should not be used for politicking. “All political parties take every opportunity that they can use against each for political gain or points,…

QUESTIONS about crimes committed using stolen or missing SAPS firearms over the past three years “cannot be responded to”, says national police commissioner Fannie Masemola. “The circulation of lost/stolen firearms is done on the Enhanced Firearms Register System (EFRS). The Integrated Ballistic Identification System (Ibis) is utilised for firearm testing to determine whether a recovered firearm was used in the commission of a crime,” said Masemola. In response to a parliamentary question in September, Masemola confirmed that 1 725 SAPS firearms had been lost over the past three years – 271 during April and July last year; 742 in the 2022/2023 financial year, and 712 in the preceding financial year 2021/2022. The DA’s Okkie Terblanche, who asked the question, said they would probe further on the updated figures since…

2 Tbsp oil 3 cups basmati rice 1.5kg chicken pieces 3 bay leaves 2 pieces of cinnamon sticks 7 whole peppercorns 5 cloves 5 slightly crushed cardamom 1 Tbsp crushed garlic 1 onion, chopped Wash 3 cups of a good quality basmati rice thoroughly and soak in warm water to cover with a heap teaspoon of turmeric for 30 minutes. Spice 1.5kg chicken pieces with Tandoori spice. In a pan add 2 TBSP of oil with 3 bay leaves 2 pieces of cinnamon sticks 7 whole peppercorns 5 cloves 5 slightly crushed cardamom Once you get the smell of the spices add one chopped onion and braise until lightly brown. Add a TBSP of crushed garlic and salt to taste. Drain the water from rice and add to the…

I READ with interest the second mayoral minute issued in December by mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis. It is a remarkable document, giving an account of the successes and challenges that the City is currently experiencing. Reading it carefully, I felt proud of what has been accomplished over the past several years, but also reassured by the further planning to make Cape Town a “future-safe” city. Noting tourists walking the streets of our most beautiful and iconic city, however, my heart suddenly fell as I observed visitors filming the squatter shelters on the verges of the Castle walls and its surrounding moat. What a shameful contrast – the authority and scale of the Castle juxtaposed with the tattered and forlorn appearance of the squatter camp. All the achievements and promises of…

The safety of motorists and passengers on South Africa's roads is of paramount importance, and the role of the traffic police in ensuring this cannot be overstated. However, the current fragmented approach to traffic policing in the country poses significant challenges to effective law enforcement on the nation's highways. The proposal by the Police and Prisons Civil Rights’ Union (Popcru) to nationalise traffic police in South Africa is a commendable and much-needed step in the right direction. South Africa's roads face a myriad of challenges, including the presence of unroadworthy trucks that pose a serious threat to fellow motorists, as well as alarmingly high road fatalities resulting from widespread disregard for traffic rules and regulations. The absence of a cohesive national approach to traffic policing exacerbates these issues, leading to…

Voters venture into sub-zero temperatures today to kick off the Republican presidential nomination race with the Iowa caucuses, the first major test of whether runaway front-runner Donald Trump is as much of a sure thing as he appears. With a commanding lead in polls, the ex-president is expected to win the Midwestern state’s first-in-the-nation vote easily as he bids to be the Republican standard-bearer against President Joe Biden in November. But Iowans may have to contend with the coldest conditions in the modern era of presidential election campaigns, with blizzards and a potential wind chill of -32°C forecast. Trump and his leading rivals, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, were forced to cancel appearances in the home stretch as the threat to Monday’s turnout added intrigue to a campaign season that…

Quito: All hostages held by inmates in Ecuador’s prisons have been freed, the country’s prison agency said. The hostages were freed by Saturday evening. Amid a surge in violence, triggered by narco-terrorist groups vying for control of drug-trafficking routes, about 150 prison guards and administrative officials were being held hostage by prisoners since last Monday. Major rioting broke out after authorities confirmed last week that Adolfo “Fito” Macias, the country’s major drug trafficker and leader of the criminal gang “Los Choneros”, had escaped from Regional Prison 8 in the south-west city of Guayaquil. President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency. | IANS…

Davos: More than 80 countries were holding talks yesterday seeking common ground on Ukraine’s peace formula, as the Swiss co-hosts admitted that being ready to include Russia remains some way off. National security advisors from 83 countries held a fourth round of discussions based on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s 10-point proposals for a lasting and just peace in Ukraine, nearly two years on from Russia’s invasion. The talks were focused on the criteria to end hostilities, the withdrawal of Russian troops, justice for crimes committed and the prevention of further escalation. | AFP…

Washington: US climate envoy John Kerry is planning to step down from his role and work on President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign. Kerry, 80, Biden’s special envoy for climate, plans to step down by spring, ending a three-year run in a major diplomatic role that was created especially for him and which will face an uncertain future with his departure. He led the US negotiating team through three UN climate summits, and championed co-operation on global warming between the US and China. | IANS…

The British media enjoy throwing some left-field questions whenever Jake White holds court overseas, and the latest one – about the Springboks joining the Six Nations – saw the man himself saying, in jest, that he “will probably get killed” for his opinion. White was happy to engage with the local English media at Ashton Gate after his Bulls side pulled off a superb 31-17 Champions Cup victory over the Bristol Bears on Saturday evening. The Pretoria outfit even grabbed a four-try bonus point in the second half through hooker Jan-Hendrik Wessels, in what was a good day for South African teams as the Sharks and Stormers also won – with just the Lions going down 13-3 to Montpellier in France. After having to explain once more why he had…

Free State Cheetahs (12) 20 Tries: Hartzenberg, Rudolph, Van der Westhuizen; Conversion: Pienaar; Penalty: Pienaar Pau (17) 33 Tries: Maddocks, Gailleton, Robson; Conversions: Desperes (2), Debaes; Penalties: Desperes (4). The Cheetahs will remain second in Pool 1 of the European Challenge Cup after failing to beat Pau yesterday afternoon in a rainy Amsterdam, losing 33-20. Sloppy play and ill-discipline cost the South Africans the top spot in the group after the Sharks overtook them yesterday, thanks to a clinical win over another French outfit, Oyonnax, in Durban. After upsetting the Sharks last time out, Cheetahs coach Hawies Fourie would have banked on his team to retake top spot at their European home stadium in the Netherlands, but they never got out of the blocks. It took the Free…

from page 1 historical, ongoing and current international war crimes committed by Israel and its armed forces against the innocent Palestinian people. “US policy and international law require that (American) weapons transferred to foreign governments, including Israel, are used in a manner consistent with protecting civilian lives. “The world’s top international human rights organisations, including US and UK-based Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have conducted and presented in-depth legal analysis over the past several years that has found that the Israeli government is committing the crimes of apartheid and persecution as per the legal definitions in international law. “We hereby place the Government of the United States of America (’the US Government’) on notice that we intend to bring legal proceedings against the US government based on overwhelming evidence…

‘The case for genocide has therefore been made by Israelis themselves more than anybody else’ AS THE South African legal team that presented a landmark case against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) received a resounding welcome when they arrived home yesterday, it was abundantly clear that the case for genocide had been made beyond any shadow of reasonable doubt, said one expert. After having read the court papers the South African government submitted to the ICJ and listening to the verbal submissions South Africa’s legal agents made to the court as well as the rebuttals of the state of Israel, Unisa lecturer in the department of jurisprudence, Mametlwe Sebei, said: “On the other side, Israel has failed to rebut any of these facts, legal arguments and claims.…

THE Nyanga family of slain 8-year-old Lukhololwam Mkontwana have pinned their hopes on the justice system after a suspect was arrested in connection with his kidnapping, two years ago. Lukhololwam’s lifeless body was found in September 2022, dumped near Botha Farm in Philippi. The 8-year-old’s hands and feet were bound. This was a few days after he was kidnapped by men who allegedly tricked him into going with them in a vehicle while he was playing with his friends a few metres from his home. The alleged kidnappers demanded R100 000 for the boy’s safe return. However, his 32-year-old mother could only send R1000 and that was the last time the family heard from the kidnappers. According to police spokesperson FC Van Wyk a breakthrough in the case was…

I EXTEND my deepest gratitude to the legal team and the South African government for amplifying the voices of the oppressed Palestinians at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing apartheid Israel of committing a list of systematic atrocities and war crimes. The South African legal team methodically presented their case against apartheid Israel at the ICJ, citing lived realities with indisputable genocidal statements made by the Israeli regime’s officials and clearly outlying apartheid Israel’s genocidal intent with humbleness, the rule of law and expertise. Thank you for arguing an exceptional case before the ICJ, that Israel is guilty of perpetrating genocide in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention. On the other hand, Israel’s six-member legal team’s arguments were entirely predictable. They presented unconvincing and weak arguments and gave more…

Investing in education is not merely a choice, but a necessity, and a path towards a brighter future. While the idea of educational partnerships and student exchanges is not new, there is a compelling argument for nurturing the transformative power of these programmes. Their benefits are not limited to individual growth, but extend to the economic and diplomatic realms. International experience further prepares students for the global workforce. Exchange programmes serve as effective tools for building international bridges, influencing diplomatic decisions and advancing economic interests. A report by Universities UK International in 2017 found that participants in exchange programmes experience a 20% higher likelihood of securing employment within six months of graduation. However, these skills do not stop at economics; they also help make friends across borders, fostering better international…

Israeli strikes pounded southern Gaza yesterday, the 100th day of the war which has claimed a surging civilian death toll and ravaged the besieged Palestinian territory. The conflict, sparked by deadly attacks on Israel, has created a dire humanitarian crisis for the 2.4 million people in Hamas-ruled Gaza, the UN and aid groups warn, and reduced much of the coastal strip to rubble. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government has faced growing international pressure over civilian casualties in Gaza, vowed that “no one will stop us” from destroying Hamas. The Hamas government media office said yesterday: “More than 100 people were martyred in the attacks last night until 6am in all areas of the Gaza Strip”. An AFP correspondent in Rafah, in southern Gaza near the border with Egypt,…

Mount Marapi on the Indonesian island of Sumatra erupted again yesterday morning, spewing volcanic ash that blanketed nearby villages and prompted more than 150 people to evacuate. Authorities reported the volcano first erupted at 6.21am local time (11.21 GMT), sending thick volcanic ash 1 300m above the crater and toward the southwest area of the peak. “People who live near the valley or riverbanks below Marapi’s peak should be warned of the threat of the lava that can occur in the rainy season,” the country’s volcanology agency said. Authorities last week raised the status of Mount Marapi to the second highest alert level following increasing volcanic activity. With the new alert level, a 4.5km radius from the crater must be vacated. A total of 158 villagers have evacuated to their…

Dar Es Salaam: More than 21 people have lost their lives following a landslide at a mine in northern Tanzania, President Samia Suluhu Hassan said yesterday. “It is with great sadness I received the reports of the deaths of more than 21 people following a landslide at Ng’alita mine in Bariadi district, Simiyu region,” Hassan said. Tanzania and neighbours Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia have all been battling flash floods caused by torrential rains linked to El Niño. Seventy-six people died in landslides last month in Katesh. Storms last month also displaced 5 600 people and destroyed infrastructure, forcing Hassan to cut short her participation in the COP28 climate talks. | AFP…

Copenhagen: Denmark’s King Frederik X acceded to the throne yesterday, ushering in a new era after his mother Queen Margrethe abdicated, with more than 100 000 Danes turning out for the unprecedented event. After a final horse-drawn carriage procession through the streets of Copenhagen, the popular 83-year-old queen signed a declaration of abdication at Christiansborg Palace, ending her 52-year reign and making her son monarch. She then left the Council of State, also attended by the government, the new king, his wife and their 18-year-old eldest son, the new Crown Prince Christian. Margrethe left the room with tears in her eyes, saying: “God bless the king.” | AFP…