Table of contents for 2024-05-20 in Cape Times

As the world celebrated International Nurses Day last Sunday, the World Health Organization (WHO) dropped a bombshell: Africa is on the brink of a massive health worker shortage, expected to hit 6.1 million by 2030. This alarming prediction throws a spotlight on South Africa, already struggling with a critical lack of nurses. According to the WHO, the nurse shortage is escalating. Just last year, South Africa's National Department of Health reported that nurses make up over half of the health workforce. Yet, as early as 2020, there was a glaring gap of 26 000 to 62 000 professional nurses. If the current trend continues, South Africa will be in dire need of an additional 340 000 nurses by the end of the decade to cope with soaring…

From page 1 KwaDukuza mayor Lindile Nhaca, who visited the scene yesterday, sent her condolences and expressed gratitude to all first responders on the scene. “It is alleged that the construction workers were installing gabion retainers when the embankment collapsed and buried five of the workers. Four people died on scene and one was rushed to Chief Albert Luthuli Hospital yesterday evening.” Nhaca said that an inquest was opened by the SAPS. Meanwhile, police at the weekend said they were securing the collapsed multistorey building site in George after search and rescue efforts ceased on Friday. Police confirmed 29 of the 33 deceased victims had been positively identified. Police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie confirmed that their investigation into the deaths of 33 people was under way and that post-mortem reports formed…

A prayer session organised by interfaith churches aligned to the ANC proved to be a tall order for the party in the Western Cape yesterday. The event, which was meant to start at 2pm, began two hours later when fewer than 80 members of the audience started singing gospel songs. ANC national executive committee member Khusela Diko, the guest speaker, arrived over 90 minutes after the scheduled start of the prayer session. Earlier there was no sound system as people adorned in ANC regalia trickled into the Thusong Centre at Khayelitsha. The turn of events did not impress ANC provincial chairperson Vuyiso Tyhalisisu. “I have just arrived. These people are not organised,” he said. “I am trying to organise the sound system. I will talk to you later,” he told…

Search-and-rescue operation for MFV Lepanto trawler called off with only 9 of the 20 crew safely back on land HOPES of finding the remaining 11 fishermen aboard the sunken MFV Lepanto owned by Sea Harvest were dealt a major blow when the search-and-rescue operation was called off yesterday. They are presumed to have drowned. The SA Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) launched an investigation after the vessel sank about 34 nautical miles offshore of Hout Bay on Friday afternoon. In a joint statement, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre and Samsa said that at about 3.30pm on Friday a Mayday distress call was received about a South Africa-flagged fishing trawler with 20 crewmen on board that had reportedly sunk quickly. At least five fishing vessels reached the…

Cloetesville residents in Paarl came together yesterday in a protest and desperate plea for action to address crime and gang violence. Community activist Felicity Roland said the residents were standing up against criminal elements who have “taken the community hostage with crime and gangs”. “It was peaceful march with a clarion call for peace in Cloetesville. I think that the message was heard loud and clear in the homes and streets that needed to be heard. People assumed that we would go to gang homes where we would make a noise in front of the homes but that was not our vision for the day. We needed the message to go out and we believe that it did,” said Roland. Residents marched to the police station where a memorandum was…

We’re just a few days away from the elections, with many new political parties battling for a seat at the table. Meanwhile, the older kids, like the DA and EFF, are more ambitious than ever, gunning to unseat the ANC. But have they done enough to energise young people? State of the Nation Over the past few months, I spent time conversing with my peers from all walks of life to gauge their feelings on this very important election. At the Cape Town City Hall, a few hours before the State of the Nation Address (Sona) by President Cyril Ramaphosa, I sat down with two students from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. I asked them what they thought the State of the Nation was. To them, the Sona was…

Israeli planes and tanks pounded areas across the Gaza Strip, residents said, as White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday amid US calls for a more focused military campaign. Sullivan was expected to press for Israel to go after Hamas militants in a targeted way, not with a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, the White House said before the discussions. Israel has been pushing into the city that it says is the last bastion of Hamas forces. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled the area that was one of their few remaining places of refuge. “Across the Gaza Strip, there is no safety,” said Majid Omran who told Reuters his family had fled Rafah and just returned to…

Hundreds of opposition supporters rallied in Taipei to protest four more years of Democratic Progressive Party rule yesterday, the day before Taiwan inaugurates president-elect Lai Ching-te. Lai will take the helm as Taiwan faces increasing diplomatic and military pressures from neighbouring China, which claims the self-ruled island as part of its territory. But his administration will also have to work with a fractious parliament after voters in January revoked his party’s majority. Taiwan’s biggest opposition group, the Kuomintang (KMT), which has historically been regarded as friendlier to China, received one more seat than the DPP, while the upstart Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) gained the role of kingmaker with eight seats. Outside the DPP’s headquarters yesterday, supporters of the TPP held up guavas, called “ba le” in Chinese. The fruit symbolised…

KINSHASA: The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) armed forces repelled an attempted coup d’etat involving Congolese and foreign fighters yesterday, the DRC army said. It did not specify whether this meant they had been detained or killed. President Felix Tshisekedi’s office also confirmed that the presidential palace had been attacked yesterday but the army had retaken control. The US embassy issued a security alert warning of “ongoing activity by DRC security elements” and reports of gunfire in the area. Tshisekedi was re-elected for a second term as president in December, but has yet to name a government. | Reuters…

Madrid: Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Madrid yesterday in defence of the local public health system, accusing the right-wing regional government of trying to destroy it with spending cuts. Huge crowds turned out at four points across the capital and marched on city hall in a mass protest. About 18 000 people took part in the demonstration, the government said, while organisers put the turnout at about 200 000. Unions and left-wing parties complain about long waiting lists and a staff shortage in health centres. Spain has a hybrid healthcare system but the public sector is larger than the private one. | AFP…

The Proteas will make the trip to the white sandy beaches and the brilliant blue waters of the Caribbean this week as they begin the road to yet another attempt to lift an ICC World Cup trophy. Rob Walter and his men go head-to-head against former T20 champions, the West Indies, in a short series of three matches. More importantly, it will give the Proteas much-needed preparation with the first fixture of this year’s T20 World Cup against Sri Lanka in just over two weeks. With the majority of the Proteas World Cup squad plying their trade in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the touring squad was initially made up of players based in South Africa, with the aim to expose them to international cricket, as well as give those…

RICHEMONT’S sales of watches and other luxury branded products increased 3% to an all-time high of €20.6 billion (R410bn) in its year to March 31, as sales grew across all regions and almost all channels excluding online, with growth led by Asia-Pacific in absolute terms and Japan in percentage terms. The sales were led by Jewellery Maisons and retail segments. Asia-Pacific sales increased (10% at constant exchange rates) in value terms, and by Japan (20% at constant exchange rates) in percentage terms. CEO Johann Rupert said the group delivered “a solid underlying performance” while successfully facing unfavourable foreign exchange movements, demanding comparatives, and ongoing macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty. “We experienced a softening of sales in the fourth quarter in Asia- Pacific against challenging comparatives, which was more than offset…

Winter is one of the most confusing seasons because it’s usually cold in the morning and warmer in the afternoon. Either way, you must layer up to be on the safe side. What’s exciting about this season is that you can be as creative as possible, using warm colours like beige, maroon, orange, red and grey. Tips on how you can style the winter colours: Beige Not having a beige coat in your wardrobe should be a crime. It’s one of the most classic coats you’ll own. Paired with a turtle neck and long boots, you’re good to go. It works well for men and women, especially those in the corporate industry. A sling bag works well with the look. Maroon Thigh-length boots are back and they don’t have…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has compared the signing of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill into law as the equivalent of ending apartheid in the South African healthcare sector. He said the current system, where the wealthy had access to superior private health care, was a form of apartheid. The president made the remarks while addressing ANC members during a rally held in Isipingo, south of Durban yesterday as hundreds of ANC supporters were bused in from the surrounding areas. The president wrapped up his three-day campaign activities in the province. He also visited Pietermaritzburg this past weekend. The ANC has been campaigning intensely in KwaZulu-Natal, with the party facing strong competition for votes from the new Jacob Zuma-led MK Party. Last week, the ANC brought in political heavyweight former president…

THE implementation of the recently enacted National Health Insurance (NHI) Act must be accompanied by practical steps to address genuine concerns about possible corruption. The NHI is a much-needed game-changer to the country’s fractured healthcare system. Despite the opposition it has faced, it will go a long way in bridging the gap between the rich and the poor, ensuring that every citizen has access to quality healthcare, if implemented correctly. It’s unjust that the majority of the population have little to no access to quality healthcare. Access to quality healthcare is a human right that should not be determined by how deep one’s pockets are. Therefore, the fears around the enactment of the NHI must not be informed by concerns that it will take away the privileges of the few.…

Blue Origin flew adventurers to the final frontier yesterday for the first time in nearly two years, reigniting competition in the space tourism market after a rocket mishap put its crewed operations on hold. Six people including Black sculptor and former Air Force pilot Ed Dwight, who was controversially spurned by Nasa’s astronaut corps in the 1960s, launched from the Launch Site One base in west Texas, a live feed showed. Dwight – at 90 years, 8 months and 10 days – became the oldest person to go to space, narrowly pipping Star Trek actor William Shatner, who was almost two months younger when he launched with Blue Origin in 2021. Mission NS-25 is the seventh human flight for the enterprise owned and founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, who…

Fresh floods have killed at least 66 people in Faryab province in northern Afghanistan, a provincial official said yesterday, in the latest deadly flooding to hit the country. Hundreds have died in separate flash floods this month that have also swamped farmland in a country where 80% of the population depends on agriculture to survive. The latest heavy floods hit multiple districts of Faryab at the weekend and “resulted in human and financial losses”, an official said. “Due to the floods 66 people were killed,” he said, adding that at least five people were injured and others were still missing. The flooding damaged over 1 500 houses, swamped agricultural land and killed livestock in their hundreds. The floods came a day after provincial police said more than 50 people were…

LONDON: Britain will spend more than £10 billion (R228bn)compensating thousands of people who were treated with blood contaminated with HIV or hepatitis C in the 1970s and 1980s, the Sunday Times reported. The infected blood scandal is seen as one of the worst treatment disasters in the history of the state-funded National Health Service. An estimated 30 000 people were given contaminated blood, with about 3 000 of those believed to have died. Many more lives were affected and some of those infected have never been traced. The blood and blood products were administered to people needing transfusions or as treatment for haemophilia. | Reuters…

Madrid: Argentina’s President Javier Milei threw his weight behind Europe’s far right yesterday at a Madrid rally that also featured leading stars of the movement like Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and France’s Marine Le Pen. The event organised by Spain’s far-right party Vox comes ahead of elections to the European Parliament from June 6-9 which surveys suggest will result in soaring gains for Europe’s far right, giving it more influence in Brussels. Milei urged Europe’s ultra-nationalists to unite against “socialism” at the rally attended by about 11 000 people. | AFP…

South Africa’s healthcare is not coping. We need a calm discussion on how to build universal healthcare. One appreciates in the excitement to scrounge up votes, opposition parties condemn anything government does, irrespective of its merit. Equally given that the majority of voters have never trusted the opposition parties to run anything more than a municipality or the Western Cape Provincial Government, its easy for opposition parties to promise voters heaven on earth knowing full well they will never be asked to deliver on their slogans. South Africa’s government led by the ANC has been discussing how we can fulfill all citizens’ constitutional right to healthcare, develop an roadmap to universal health care and build a National Health Insurance for many years. President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the National Health…

From page 1 saying the investigation would determine the cause of the sinking and ensure that all safety protocols were followed. “I wish to extend my sincere condolences to the families of the 11 crew members who are now presumed deceased. “I understand that the families of the bereaved fishermen have been informed that the search has been called off and that they are receiving professional counselling and support, and appropriate counselling will be given to the other fishermen who survived this incident,” said Creecy. The department said a review of the search progression, the search efforts, and the continuous lack of sighting reports from the incident start, and the unfavourable weather, led the Samsa Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre to conclude the search-and-rescue effort. Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said…

PENSION fund members are set to access a third of their pensions within the next four months. The National Assembly unanimously approved the Pension Fund Amendment Bill after it was sent back for concurrence by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) with technical amendments. The bill, introduced by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana in January, provides for a “two-pots” system that divides pension contributions into two separate pots: a savings pot and a retirement pot, with effect from September. It proposes that retirement fund members be allowed to allocate one-third of their contributions from the date of implementation of the new legislation to an accessible portion of those members’ retirement savings. Workers will access 10%, up to R30 000 of their existing savings when the law comes into effect and from…

A WHISTLE-BLOWER tip-off led to raids at the office of the Department of Home Affairs in five provinces including the Western Cape, with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the Hawks seizing computers, electronics and documents believed to be crucial in the ongoing investigation. The other provinces were Gauteng, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape. SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said: “The searches follow a tip-off from a whistle-blower that suggested that Home Affairs officials in the identified centres work with syndicates to duplicate application status files applied for in other offices and process them for a fee. “The whistle-blower also stated that the officials bypass immigration systems to enable foreign nationals who have entered the country illegally to remain in the country and acquire permits illegally and unlawfully. “The whistle-blower alleged…

The girlfriend of murdered off-duty police officer Mzuvukile Hlahlenyi, her son and three others have been sentenced in connection with his killing. Constable Hlahlenyi was killed in 2020 at the age of 26 after an argument with his girlfriend Nonjongo Tabalaza, in Khayelitsha. The news that the cop had died emerged after his colleagues visited his home in Site C to check up on him when he did not report for his shift that morning. While in the area they were informed about how Hlahlenyi was stoned to death in the street, and after a month arrests were made. Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said the accused were Tabalaza, 39, her son Lisakhanya Tabalaza,17, Aphiwe Potwana, 27, Mayihlome Moshani ,17, and 27-year-old Thobile Soka. “Constable Hlahleni was attached to Steenberg SAPS.…

A helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi was involved in “an accident” in poor weather conditions yesterday, state media reported, with a search under way and no news yet on his condition. “An accident happened to the helicopter carrying the president” in the Jofa region of the western province of East Azerbaijan, state television said. Search and rescue teams were headed to the remote mountain area, state media in the Islamic republic reported, adding that Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was also aboard the aircraft. “The harsh weather conditions and heavy fog have made it difficult for the rescue teams to reach the accident site,” state TV said. State TV broadcast footage of an Iranian Red Crescent team walking up a slope in thick fog, as well as live footage of…

Ulan Bator: Two Mongolian climbers died following their successful ascent of the world’s tallest peak, Mount Everest, from the Nepali side, without supplementary oxygen and assistance of Sherpa guides, the Mongolian National Climbing Federation said yesterday. Tsedendamba Usukhjargal, 53, and Lkhagvajav Purevsuren, 31, were last in contact a week ago from Camp 4. Usukhjargal’s body was seen at about 8 600m near the south summit of Mt Everest, while Purevsuren’s body was found in the vicinity of the Balcony area at 8 400m. Photos and videos depicting them reaching the summit of Mt Everest on May 13 were discovered on their cellphones. | IANS…

Nairobi: Kenyan police will deploy to Haiti within weeks to lead a UN-backed multinational mission aimed at tackling gang violence, a senior government official in the East African country said yesterday. “That deployment will happen in the next few days, few weeks,” Korir Sing’Oei, Kenya’s principal secretary for foreign affairs, said before President William Ruto travels to Washington to meet US counterpart Joe Biden on Thursday. Kenya pledged last year to deploy up to 1 000 personnel to Haiti, an offer welcomed by the US and other nations that had ruled out putting their own forces on the ground. But the mission has faced legal challenges. | AFP…

DENPASAR: Elon Musk and Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin launched SpaceX’s satellite internet service for the nation’s health sector yesterday, aiming at improving access in remote parts of the sprawling archipelago. Musk, the billionaire head of SpaceX and Tesla, arrived on the Indonesian resort island of Bali by private jet before attending the launch ceremony at a community health centre in the provincial capital, Denpasar. Musk said the availability of the Starlink service in Indonesia would help millions in far-flung parts of the country to access the internet. The country is home to more than 270 million people and three different time zones, Starlink was launched at three Indonesian health centres yesterday. The tech tycoon was scheduled to address the World Water Forum taking place on the island today.…