Table of contents for 2024-10-28 in Cape Times

Media freedom stands as one of the most significant pillars of a truly free nation. In societies grappling with social challenges, the ability of individuals to voice their frustrations without fear of judgment or oppression is invaluable. Independent media creates safe spaces where diverse thoughts can flourish without the shackles of censorship, allowing columnists and commentators to speak their minds openly. My journey as a journalist began with a deep admiration for Independent Media. Before joining, I often found myself captivated by their stories—narratives that were refreshingly distinct from what mainstream outlets offered. Upon joining the organisation, I quickly recognised its commitment to giving a voice to the voiceless, a mission I wholeheartedly embraced. As the content editor for Personal Finance, I appreciate that Independent Media has empowered me to…

DISSATISFIED members of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) have raised concerns that some members who have recently joined the party have been parachuted into leadership positions. On Friday, party leader Jacob Zuma announced at a media briefing that former Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane and former ANC leader and KwaZulu-Natal premier Willies Mchunu would be joining as convenors of the party in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal respectively. Earlier this month, Mchunu, in a letter to the ANC, announced that he was resigning as a member. He said he believed that the ANC should not have entered into a coalition to form the Government of National Unity and he was hurt by the criticism he received when he raised this view within the party. Mkhwebane resigned from the EFF two weeks ago. The…

Denial of visa was an ‘infringement of his movement’ MANDLA Mandela has maintained that the denial of his visa application to the UK was an infringement of his movement and an attempt to undermine the work of the Anti-Apartheid Movement in the UK. Mandela was forced to address the Sheffield and District African Caribbean Community Association (Sadacca) virtually this month after being unable to enter the UK as he awaited the issuing of his visa. He addressed the scheduled speaking tour titled “Dismantling Apartheid from South Africa to Palestine”. His visa application has since been denied. In a letter sent to Mandela, the UK government said they assessed his presence in the UK as “not conducive to the public good on the grounds that you have engaged in unacceptable behaviour”.…

THE faux pas that President Cyril Ramaphosa made at the BRICS Summit describing Russia as “a friend and ally” whilst Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine continues is incomprehensible and naive. He cannot speak for the GNU without consultation with his partners. Whilst it is historically accurate that Russia supported the SA liberation movement during the apartheid years and was indeed “a friend”, today Russia, under Vladimir Putin, is the pariah of the Western world for his illegal invasion of Ukraine. No one is questioning efforts by the BRICS nations to build an alternative viable economic trading bloc but for BRICS delegates to stand in line like little toy soldiers whilst puppet master Vladimir Putin pontificates and blusters about how he’s outwitting the West should be an embarrassment to all delegates.…

Tap-and-go bank cards which do not require a PIN for purchases up to R500 are a boon for criminals intent on going on a festive season shopping spree. The Banking Ombud said complaints have been received of tap-and-go transactions conducted with cards that had been lost or stolen – and the public is urged to be cautious, especially with fraud attacks expected to increase at this time of the year. However, no complaints have been received by the Banking Ombud relating to money being siphoned from tap-and-go cards by criminals using a scanning device. The Banking Division of the National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO) said it was aware of reports about a voice note circulating. This voice note raises concerns about potential fraud involving the tap-and-go functionality on bank cards,…

Two suspects who allegedly operated from prison, extorting their victim who had to pay protection fees on a weekly basis, have appeared in the Wynberg Magistrates Court. Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said efforts to curb extortion in the province led to the arrests of the two on extortion related charges. “Investigation revealed that the two suspects operated from prison. They also created a false Facebook account and used the victim’s identity to sell products of which the buyers never received the products,” Twigg said. The two suspects, aged 23 and 24, were arrested by the Provincial Organized Crime Detectives and appeared in the Wynberg Magistrates’ court on Friday. They were remanded in custody. Meanwhile, members of the Anti-Gang Unit deployed in the Bishop Lavis area to quell the ongoing shooting…

Recent revelations by Stellenbosch University students Veer Gosai and Joel Cedras have shone a harsh light on the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) and its alarming deficiencies. Upon applying for the R350 social relief of distress grant, Cedras discovered an application had unlawfully been submitted in his name. This discovery gave birth to a critical investigation that underscored systemic vulnerabilities within Sassa’s operations. The subsequent informal survey conducted by the duo exposed an insidious truth: students had applications done in their names and funds deposited into unknown bank accounts, highlighting rampant fraud in the application process. The leadership at Sassa must take accountability for this staggering breach of trust and security. Millions of rand, intended for the poorest citizens, are falling into the hands of criminals – both external…

Georgia plunged into political turmoil yesterday after the ruling party declared victory in parliamentary elections decried by the opposition as “falsified”. The EU had warned that Saturday’s vote, seen as a crucial test of democracy in the Caucasus country, would determine Tbilisi’s chances of joining the bloc. The result sets the stage for a political showdown that analysts warn could derail Georgia’s European aspirations. Official tallies from more than 99% of precincts showed the ruling Georgian Dream party winning 54.08% of the vote, while a union of four pro-Western opposition alliances garnered 37.58%, according to central election commission chair Giorgi Kalandarishvili. “The elections took place in a calm and free environment,” he said. The result gives Georgian Dream 91 seats in the 150-member parliament – enough to govern but short…

HANOI: Storm Trami hit central Vietnam yesterday, threatening to trigger heavy rains and dangerous floods after leaving a path of destruction in the Philippines. Rainfall in several parts of provinces from Quang Binh to Quang Nam is forecast to reach 60cm yesterday and today, said the national weather forecast agency. After sweeping across the Philippines’ main Luzon island, Trami left large areas submerged under floodwaters, making rescue and relief operations difficult as Manila braces for the impact of incoming storm Kong-rey. The storm hit the Philippines on Thursday, causing floods and landslides that have left 110 people dead as of yesterday, | Reuters…

LONDON: Some British Labour MPs yesterday accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of having a “colonial mindset” and trying to silence nations pushing for discussions on reparations for transatlantic slavery at this month’s Commonwealth summit in Samoa. Ahead of the Commonwealth heads of government summit in Samoa, where Caribbean and African nations wished to discuss the topic, Starmer said the issue was not on the agenda, and that he would like to “look forward”. Diane Abbott, Britain’s first black woman MP, said Labour previously had plans to establish a national reparations commission but Starmer “seems to have forgotten that”. | Reuters…

As copper theft continues to impact public infrastructure, with theft and damage estimated to cost the economy R46 billion annually, it is hoped that proposed legislative amendments may tighten regulations in the scrap metal industry. This is according to the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. The scrap metal export ban, which was imposed in November 2022 in a bid to reduce the theft of infrastructure, was not extended after the ban expired in December last year, the department said. Asked whether the ban had made a difference to the theft of infrastructure, department spokesperson Bongani Lukhele said the results were mixed. “We believe that the evidence is somewhat mixed and has little bearing on the claims that the prohibition has decreased infrastructure damage and theft. This was to be…

THE Balfour Declaration was issued on November 2, 1917. In the mere span of 67 words, England gave Zionists all legal and civilian rights to establish a pure Jewish state in Palestine. By design, mass immigration of Jews from all over the world would make this a reality. The Palestinians (then, 90% of the population), whose families lived there for centuries, were not consulted at all. It was suggested that they be moved (!) to zones like the Indian Reservations in the US, to make space for Jewish immigrants. Interestingly, neither the recipient of the declaration, Lionel Walter Rothschild, nor any of the other wealthy Jews from West Side London, had any intentions of leaving their cushy lives to emigrate to Palestine. Indeed, the reasons for establishing Jews in Palestine…

The first-ever South African marriage certificate with an entry of ‘Muslim marriage’ was issued to a couple whose Nikah (Muslim marriage) was performed at Cravenby Estate in the Western Cape earlier this month, the Al Jama-ah Party said. This comes as the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) confirmed it had issued the first South African marriage certificates officially recognising the “type of marriage” as “Muslim”. “After changes made to the Department’s internal systems, Home Affairs has granted the first batch of 33 marriage certificates for Muslim marriages for the first time in South African history,” the department said in a statement. “Members of the Islamic faith community have made extraordinary contributions to South Africa’s history for more than 350 years,” Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said. “While it comes hundreds…

These gatherings highlight the mounting challenge to Western hegemony IF KEY international indabas say under the aegis of the United Nations had a Summit Competition Czar, then he or she could be excused for being bemused if not downright confused. October has become the new silly season for global conferences. That very human instinct of “jaw jaw”, as opposed unfortunately to the equally human instinct of “war war”, is descending into a competitive beauty parade seemingly drawn along age-old ideological lines. This is further complicated by inevitable instances of cross-dressing, given the socio-cultural, economic and financial complexities and disparities of the groupings. Hardly had the inaugural EU-Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) Summit finished in Brussels on October 16, which saw European leaders such as President Emmanuel Macron of France cock-a-hoop hobnobbing…

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared yesterday that Israel’s “precise and powerful” strikes on Iran had been a success, as his country’s forces pounded targets in Gaza and Lebanon. The previous day’s strikes by Israeli planes on military targets in Iran had fed fears that the Middle East was spiralling towards an even wider conflict and triggered global calls for restraint. But Iranian leaders played down their importance, saying the strikes had caused only limited damage and killed four soldiers, while Netanyahu stressed that the raids had served their purpose of avenging an earlier Iranian missile barrage against Israel. “The attack in Iran was precise and powerful, achieving all of its objectives,” Netanyahu said, in a speech marking the official Hebrew calendar anniversary of the Hamas attack on October 7 last…

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro vowed over the weekend that his country would not be silenced after Brazil vetoed its bid to join the BRICS group of emerging economies. The South American country is in the throes of an unprecedented economic crisis, which the government says is a result of US sanctions, and has long sought to join the BRICS group. Venezuela reacted furiously to Brazil’s veto at a summit in the Russian city of Kazan earlier this week, calling the decision a “hostile” and “immoral” act. Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is a long-time ally of Maduro. But relations between them have been strained since Maduro’s disputed re-election following the July 28 ballot, which the opposition claims to have won. An adviser to Lula, former foreign minister Celso…

JERUSALEM: One person was killed and dozens were injured yesterday when a truck struck a bus stop at a major intersection near Tel Aviv in central Israel in what police suspected was a terrorist attack. Israeli police said about 40 people were injured, some seriously, and were taken to nearby hospitals. Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv said one of the victims succumbed to his wounds. The attack, in which a truck ran into a bus stop close to a military base, took place around 10am, police said, noting the driver was “neutralised” by a nearby civilian. Israeli media reported the attacker was an Israeli Arab from Qalansawe in central Israel. | Reuters…

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that Russia’s defence ministry was working on different ways to respond if the US and its Nato allies helped Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with long-range Western missiles. Russia has warned the US and its allies for weeks that such actions would be viewed as a major escalation in the conflict that has dragged on for more than a year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been urging the West to allow Kyiv to fire deep into Russia with Western missiles. This comes with Russia advancing at the fastest rate in eastern Ukraine since the first few months of the invasion. | Reuters…

Workers received good news this week with inflation falling from 4.4% to 3.8% since last month. This provides welcome relief to millions of highly indebted workers struggling to cope with rising costs of living over the past two years and salaries that barely kept pace with these. Inflation peaked at 7.8% over the past two years due to the spike in international oil prices following the war in Ukraine. This had a devastating impact upon fuel importing economies like South Africa, making the cost of transport, food, electricity and other essential goods much more expensive for workers already bleeding from a weak economy, low wages, high unemployment and endemic poverty. Further pain was felt by working class families and the economy with the 475 basis points hike in the repo…

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has said South Africa has made notable strides in tackling deficiencies in its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) systems, addressing many issues that led to its greylisting earlier this year. FATF, a global watchdog overseeing efforts to counter money laundering and terrorism financing, said that South Africa has now largely or fully addressed 16 out of the 22 action items outlined in its greylisting report, with six critical items left to resolve by February 2025. The FATF noted this progress during its October plenary meeting in Paris, emphasising the need for continued efforts. Commenting on the progress made, the DA urged the government to act swiftly on remaining shortcomings, particularly in the prosecution of complex financial crimes. DA finance spokesperson Wendy Alexander yesterday…

THE murder of five people in Atlantis is a shocking development in a country where killings of such nature have enveloped every province in our rainbow nation. Crime and violent criminals continue to haunt the precincts of our neighbourhood and our blood- stained rainbow land. Fear of crime and perceptions of social disorder are widespread. South Africa, our beloved democratic nation, is breeding a nation of criminals, who have no respect for property and life that belongs to others. The failure of the state and its public order and criminal justice institutions to respond adequately by providing protection and basic security is apparent, and it may threaten democratic development. Without such safeguards in place, civilised society will falter, causing ordinary people to become prisoners in their own homes. We have…

City authorities have been notified after a man was reportedly bitten by a seal at Big Bay, Bloubergstrand on Saturday. The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) reported two animal bite incidents at the weekend and appealed to bathers to be cautious in and around coastal waters. This also comes after the public was urged to stay away from Cape fur seals and not attempt to touch or engage with them this holiday season following reports of aggression and positive rabies cases in Cape fur seal populations. At about 1pm Saturday, emergency services responded to reports of a man bitten by a marine animal while wading in the surf in chest deep water, at Blue Waters Beach, False Bay. “Lifeguards medically attended to the... local man who had been bitten on…

THE Eastern Cape has recently witnessed a surge in mass killings that have shocked communities and raised serious concerns about public safety. Incidents such as the shooting in Bityi, near Mthatha, where five members of a family were killed and two others wounded, are alarmingly frequent occurrences. On September 28, a horrific attack in Lusikisiki resulted in the deaths of 18 people. The shooting of 10 community patrollers in Godini village, near Tina Falls, Qumbu, earlier this month resulted in six deaths. These tragic events underscore the gravity of the situation. They indicate a disturbing pattern of violence that calls for critical examination. The crime statistics released by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu painted a grim picture of escalating crime, where murder, rape, hijacking, kidnapping for ransom, and extortion are on…

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was to headline a rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden yesterday, a high-profile event in a state that last backed a Republican president in 1984. Opponent Vice President Kamala Harris is traversing Philadelphia, the largest city and a Democratic stronghold in must-win Pennsylvania, and plans stops in a Black barbershop and a Puerto Rican restaurant to encourage people to vote. Speaking at the Church of Christian Compassion yesterday, Harris didn’t mention Trump by name. “In this moment we do face a real question: What kind of country do we want to live in?” she said. Trump’s rally in Manhattan, like Harris’s event in Houston on Friday with Beyonce, hopes to lean on star power to support local congressional candidates ahead of the November 5…

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), led by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, failed to secure a parliamentary majority in snap elections, a first since 2009. Media projections indicated that the LDP, along with its coalition partner Komeito, would win between 174 and 254 seats, falling short of the 233 needed for a majority in the 465-seat parliament. This disappointing outcome reflects voter frustration over rising prices and the fallout from a party slush fund scandal that previously affected former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Ishiba, who took leadership of the LDP last month, aimed for a majority to strengthen his position. However, the LDP’s performance, projected to be the worst in 15 years, raises questions about its future direction and potential coalition partners, as the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) gained ground,…

TAIPEI: China yesterday deployed fighter jets and drones in a “joint combat readiness patrol” around Taiwan, responding to a US arms sale package worth $2 billion, officials said. The US State Department approved a $2 billion arms sale package for Taiwan, including advanced surface-to-air missile systems and radar. Taiwan’s defence ministry said it detected 19 Chinese aircraft yesterday, including fighter jets and drones, flying near the island over a nearly four-hour period as part of Beijing’s “joint combat readiness patrol” with warships. It was the third such patrol reported by Taiwan’s defence ministry this month. | AFP…

WASHINGTON: South African-born billionaire businessman Elon Musk worked illegally in the US during a brief period in the 1990s while building a startup company, the Washington Post reported. Musk denied the report yesterday saying he was allowed to legally work in the US during that period. “I was on a J-1 visa that transitioned to an H1-B,” he said on his social media platform X. The J-1 Exchange Visitor visa lets foreign students get academic training in US, while the H1-B visa is for temporary employment. The news outlet reported that Musk arrived in Palo Alto, California, in 1995 to attend Stanford University but never enrolled in his graduate studies program there. Instead, he developed software company Zip2, which sold in 1999 for $300 million, according to reports. |…

Francesco Bagnaia claimed victory at the Thai MotoGP yesterday, overcoming Jorge Martin in wet conditions to significantly diminish the points gap in the championship standings with two race weekends remaining. The defending champion's triumph at Buriram reduced Martin's lead from 22 to just 17 points, setting the stage for an intense battle as the season heads to Sepang in Malaysia next week. Pedro Acosta completed the podium in third place, but the race truly revolved around the fierce competition between Martin and Bagnaia, who now finds himself in a two-horse race for the championship. With only the Malaysian GP and the season finale in Valencia from November 15 to 17 left on the calendar, the championship struggle is bound to intensify. Martin, racing for Pramac Ducati and eyeing his first…

As the countdown begins for Scotland's clash with the reigning world champions, the Springboks, on November 10 at Murrayfield, the Glasgow Warriors’ Scottish internationals are emerging with valuable insights following their recent encounters against two of South Africa's sides in the United Rugby Championship (URC). In the span of two weekends, the Warriors faced off against both the Sharks and the Stormers, who were packed with Springbok talent. Although Glasgow suffered a setback against a formidable Sharks side in Durban, their triumph over the Stormers in Stellenbosch this past Saturday, where they faced several Springbok stars including Frans Malherbe, Manie Libbok, and Damian Willemse, has undoubtedly bolstered their confidence. Glasgow head coach Franco Smith, a former assistant coach for the Springboks, is eager not to disclose too much ahead of…

Sport can be a fickle mistress, as Damian Willemse and Cameron Hanekom discovered this past Saturday. In a dramatic turn of events, Willemse found himself sidelined from the Springbok training camp in Jersey, while Hanekom received a surprising call-up to join the squad. It all unfolded during a Stormers match against Glasgow in Stellenbosch. Willemse, who had been performing impressively, scored a try but felt an immediate twinge in his groin. The pain on his face suggested he realised he was out for the count. Despite his efforts to continue playing, it felt like a cruel twist of fate, striking him down after spending much of the year battling injury issues. His impact on the field had given the Stormers hope, but with him injured, the team's prospects dimmed considerably.…