Table of contents for 2025-11-10 in Cape Times

Diabetes, often called the “silent epidemic,” affects over 4.3 million South Africans, according to the South African Diabetes Foundation, with 90% of cases being type 2 diabetes. This condition, linked to lifestyle factors such as a poor diet, lack of exercise, and excess weight, can develop gradually and often go unnoticed for years. Diabetes is often preventable and, in some cases, even reversible with early intervention and simple lifestyle adjustments. Ahead of World Diabetes Day, on Friday, let’s shine a light on 10 early signs of type 2 diabetes that often slip under the radar. Recognising these warning signals early could make all the difference – not just for your health, but for your quality of life. 1. Frequent urination Are you always running to the bathroom? If you find…

THE Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI) has hinted at possibly appealing the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR)’s approval of a 20-year licence extension for Koeberg Nuclear Power Station’s Unit 2. It described the decision as a failure of regulatory oversight, saying the approval came despite alleged serious safety and governance concerns in Eskom’s application. Eskom recently announced the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) approval enables Unit 2’s continued operation until November 9, 2045. This follows Eskom’s successful application which included safety assessments, technical reviews, and infrastructure upgrades as part of the station’s Long-Term Operation (LTO) programme. “Koeberg Nuclear Power Station Unit 2, currently contributing 946MW to the national grid, has demonstrated exceptional reliability by operating at 100% Energy Availability Factor (EAF) for 241 consecutive days this year. This consistent…

THE four suspects arrested over the murder of Metro Police Constable Tyler Lamb are expected to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court today facing other charges of business robbery and illegal possession of ammunition. Lamb died after falling from the roof while embroiled in a scuffle with a suspect he had been chasing. Safety and security mayco member JP Smith said the 30-year-old officer was part of the newly deployed Neighbourhood Safety Officers (NSOs) at the time of the incident. “According to the information obtained by our Safety and Security Investigative Unit (SSIU) the officers were conducting a Vehicle Check Point along Voortrekker Road, Kensington when they observed the driver of a Toyota Yaris behaving suspiciously. “The motorist refused to stop and sped away as the…

Mr. Bolton’s article presents a biased and misguided attack on Mr. Player who is one of the greatest sportsmen that has ever represented this country. I am 5 years younger than Gary and have met him on a few occasions. He is one of the most personable and charming people that I have ever met. I was fortunate enough to get tickets for the Masters tournament in 1990 and I was extremely proud to see the SA flag flying next to those of previous winners of the Masters. I was even more proud at the way Gary conducted himself on the course and the applause he received from the spectators- probably as much as Nicklaus himself. Bringing in the apartheid government, which Gary always spoke against and to say that…

This homegrown Capetonian will undoubtedly be in contention for a leadership role in the Democratic Party in the 2028 USA elections. Mamdani is Donald Trump's worst nightmare …this young man of steel will never bow to Trump's ego and kiss his ring. Trump's insults and attempts to intimidate Mamdani by calling him names is like water off a duck's back. Let’s imagine an ex-Capetonian sitting in the White House come 2028. Finally Trump faces his nemesis in the form of a fearless young champion of the poor, the downtrodden and the working class in America. You go Zohran.…

SERIOUS concerns have been raised about security and operational controls in both policing and correctional security environments following multiple escape incidents. This weekend police confirmed the re-arrest of convicted rapist, Jakob September, who escaped from Helderstroom Maximum Correctional Centre in Caledon on Saturday. September, originally from Riversdale, was serving a 28-year sentence for violent sexual offences. Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said: “Following the escape of an inmate from a correctional facility in Caledon on Saturday morning, a well-coordinated search team was established comprising of the SAPS Drone Unit, Visible Policing, Public Order Police, K9 Unit, Private Security and the Department of Correctional Service, led to the re-arrest of the inmate late Saturday night. “Hampered by difficult terrain and darkness the SAPS Drone Unit was mobilized to assist the members on…

In a week where public confidence in South Africa’s justice system was wavering, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has delivered a decisive and commendable victory. The announcement by Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi that the Ndimande brothers, allegedly linked to the brutal murder of rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, will be extradited from the Kingdom of Eswatini is a powerful testament to what can be achieved with focused and competent execution. This success comes as a particularly heartening counter-narrative to recent high-profile extradition failures, proving that the system can, and does, work. The 2023 murder of AKA and his friend, Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane, on a busy Durban street was not just a crime; it was a national trauma. For over a year, the question hanging over this case was not…

After just six months in power, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition is facing infighting, policy deadlock and sliding poll ratings, undermining its efforts to take on the rising far right. It marks a difficult start for the conservative politician who ran on bold pledges of reviving the stagnant economy, overhauling the threadbare military and toughening immigration policy after years of drift under the previous government. In German post-war politics, “there has never been such widespread dissatisfaction with a government in such a short period of time”, Manfred Guellner, director of the Forsa polling institute, said. For Germans who hoped for more decisive leadership after the last government’s collapse, “their expectations have been dashed”, he said. The winners of February’s general election, Merz’s centre-right CDU/CSU bloc now find themselves neck-and-neck in…

NEW DELHI: India is in the final stages of a deal to sell BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to Indonesia. The BrahMos is a joint venture by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia. It has become a central element of India’s defence capability, designed to deliver precision strikes from land, sea, and submarine platforms. As a jointly owned technology, exports require consent from both governments, meaning New Delhi must secure Moscow’s approval before finalising any sale. India has reportedly been in talks with Indonesia for an extended period. If concluded, the agreement would strengthen defence ties between the two countries and would come on the heels of Jakarta’s entry into the BRICS bloc in January 2024, which expanded its strategic engagement with member states, including India.…

Sione Tuipulotu lamented a failure to capitalise on a rousing second-half comeback after Scotland’s 25-17 defeat by New Zealand left the nation still searching for a win over the All Blacks. Scotland’s hopes of a first victory in 120 years appeared over at half-time, trailing 17-0 after tries from Cam Roigard and Will Jordan for the All Blacks. But the Scots fought back in the second half at Murrayfield to level the match at 17-17 heading into the final quarter. Despite having three players yellow-carded, New Zealand regained composure. A superb try and a long-range penalty from replacement Damian McKenzie sealed the All Blacks’ 31st win in 33 matches against Scotland, with two draws. "I'm gutted," said Scotland captain Tuipulotu. "I know how much goes into a performance like that,…

FORMER President Thabo Mbeki’s claim that South Africa’s method of electing its president is “wrong” is not without merit. Presidential candidates are rarely evaluated on their competence or fitness to govern, and Mbeki’s call for citizens, not political parties, to take responsibility for national challenges is both timely and necessary. However, Mbeki’s own record stands in contrast with his critique. As an HIV/AIDS denialist, he rejected established scientific consensus, contributing to the deaths of tens of thousands of South Africans. Furthermore, his administration pursued an extensive arms procurement initiative in a nation not at war. These actions reveal a failure to consult experts and a lack of accountability, the very shortcomings he now questions or condemns. While his critique of the presidential electoral system is valid, potentially promoting greater accountability…

Zohran Mamdani was elected Mayor of New York in a free and fair election. The political establishment that opposed him are livid at losing such an important election. Today he is being labelled a socialist and a communist in an act of character assassination, reminiscent of the McCarthy era of the 1950’s. The division is now a chasm wider than the Grand Canyon, and a classical display of unrestrained character degradation. Character assassination is on the increase in our prejudiced environment, as distorted news and misinformation gather momentum across our prejudiced geographical landscape. Sadly, we are all guilty of this heinous and sinister strategy. Lies and half-truths, laced with contagious venom are now on graphic display as we witness the mutilation of many good persons impeccable character and absolute honesty.…

FRENCH philosopher Michel Foucault came up with the notion of “exemplary vengeance” to describe the approach to discipline typical of the monarchical (pre-democratic) era in Europe. Any threat to power was met with punishment rather than reform – make an example of the miscreant, as a disincentive to other would-be miscreants. This archaic practice, like the inhuman punishment of slaves in the racist American Deep South to discourage escape, one would think is way out of step with approaches in enlightened societies. But then one is rudely awakened to find it alive and well and visible wherever the guardians of power structures in the modern world feel threatened. One need look no further than Donald Trump, whose only language is that of violent intolerance. Is it reasonable to assume that…

Standing in the centre of rainy Kaliningrad, the isolated Russian exclave surrounded by Nato countries, Russian factory worker Alexander felt confident. Economically hit by being cut-off from its EU neighbours and physically isolated from the rest of Russia, officials and locals are putting on a brave face amid claims they are under siege from neighbours Poland and Lithuania. The Baltic states surrounding Kaliningrad, all Nato members, have been some of Ukraine’s staunchest backers since Moscow launched its offensive in February 2022. Poland and Lithuania “want to show off, display their strength, reinforce their borders”, said Alexander, 25, who did not give his surname. But his city is “certainly not one that surrenders”, he added, taking pride that Russia had far more weapons than its smaller neighbours. His defiance echoes the…

Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in the US at the weekend for a landmark official visit, his country’s state news agency reported, a day after Washington removed him from a terrorism blacklist. Sharaa, whose rebel forces ousted long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, is due to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House today. It’s the first such visit by a Syrian president since the country’s independence in 1946, according to analysts. The interim leader met Trump for the first time in Riyadh during the US president’s regional tour in May. US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said earlier this month that Sharaa would “hopefully” sign an agreement to join the international US-led alliance against the Islamic State (IS) group. The US plans to establish a military…

WASHINGTON: The US will demand countries agree to hand over samples of “pathogens with epidemic potential” in return for temporarily restored health aid, The Guardian wrote at the weekend, citing draft government documents. US President Donald Trump slashed such programmes earlier this year as part of a broad government cost-cutting effort and foreign policy realignment. Under proposed memorandums of understanding, Washington is offering dozens of countries a renewal of US programmes confronting diseases such as HIV, TB, and malaria. However, partner countries will be expected to take over funding of the programmes within five years. In return, they will be required to share specimens of “pathogens with epidemic potential” with the US within days of their discovery, it wrote. | RT News…

LIMPOPO Judge President George Phatudi is expected to be slapped with a written warning when he submits himself to be reprimanded by Chief Justice Mandisa Maya for breaching the judicial conduct code. Judge Phatudi must also issue a written apology to advocate Shadrack Thebeile, the complainant in the matter, for presiding over a case which involved one of his former clients at the time when he was still a lawyer. Thebeile lodged a complaint with the Judicial Conduct Committee against the judge following two cases in which he acted for the Makhuduthamaga Municipality as respondent in a land dispute matter, concerning an applicant who was a client of Judge Phatudi when the latter was an attorney. The subject matter before Judge Phatudi concerned the same facts as those in…

WHILE pressure continues to mount on Premier Alan Winde to release a report into alleged links between SAPS and gangs, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) confirmed having launched an investigation into the extent of infiltration. “IPID has opened a case following the (Western Cape) Ombudsman’ report in 2022. Our investigation is ongoing and the focus of our investigation is at establishing the extent of the infiltration,” said Ipid spokesperson Lizzy Suping. The report, already three years old, was handed to Winde by the Western Cape Police Ombudsman in 2022. The DA-led government initiated the investigation after a scathing judgment by Western Cape High Court judge Daniel Thulare. Part of that judgment involving members of the notorious criminal gangs read: “The evidence suggests not only a capture of some lower-ranking…

SOUTH Africa lives with a contradiction that we often pretend not to see, we do not have a single justice system. We have two. The first is fast, harsh, and designed for the poor. The second is slow, cautious, and endlessly negotiable, a luxury reserved for the powerful. Walk into any magistrate’s court on a Monday morning. You will see shackled young men arrested for shoplifting food, for stealing copper to sell for taxi fare, for taking a cellphone to pawn for rent. These are “survival crimes,” born not of greed but of hunger and unemployment. Their cases move quickly. Bail is often unaffordable. Sentencing is swift. Jail time is normal. Contrast that with the treatment of those who steal millions or sometimes billions through public procurement fraud, tender manipulation,…

ALI Khan accuses South Africans of "sitting on their hands", and not reacting with full support for Gaza after the Francesca Albanese speech in Cape Town (Cape Times, 3 November), but overlooks some important points. Firstly, Albanese only presented one side of the issue, despite the October 7 Hamas atrocities, and one-sided stories are often suspect. Secondly, both sides have done evil things, and moral people aren't going to side with evil. Thirdly, the hype about justice and liberation can be applied equally to the Ukraine war, where Ukraine didn't do an October 7 on Russia, but is still having their women and children killed by Russians - where is the same righteous indignation about that war? Does SA's BRICS membership conflict with taking Russia to the International Court of…

“I got no chance for a fair trial, I’m basically already sentenced." These were the words of alleged 28s gang boss Ralph Stanfield who made his first pre-trial hearing appearance via camera on Friday at the Western Cape High Court. Stanfield's complainants include that he is being held with convicted criminals and that officials don’t allow him to contact his wife, Nicole Johnson. Stanfield and Johnson, together with others, face 41 charges under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA), including murder, attempted murder, fraud, illegal firearms possession, possession of unlawful ammunition and conspiracy to commit murder. He said that his constitutional right to give instructions to his lawyer has been infringed. “I appeared last in a physical open court in mid-2024 and there will always be certain in…

Workers’ right to dignity is enshrined in South African law AS WE recently commemorated Mental Health Awareness Month in October, I want to speak not only as a lawyer, but as a South African, who has sat across from too many broken souls, who once walked into workplaces with hope and left with humiliation. They do not arrive in my office talking about depression or anxiety. They come talking about their boss. About “the treatment.” About how every morning feels heavier than the last. Workplace stress is not just about tight deadlines or long hours. It is about the slow corrosion of dignity. It is about being shouted at in front of others, about your work being undervalued, your potential being dismissed, your humanity being reduced to a number on…

Israel’s military chief pledged at the weekend to bring home the remains of an officer killed more than a decade ago in Gaza, after media reports that Hamas had pinpointed the location of his body following a search green-lit by Israel. The army said Lieutenant-General Eyal Zamir had met with the family of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, who was killed during the 2014 six-week war in Gaza. Since his death, Goldin’s body has been held in Gaza but Hamas has never publicly confirmed his death or acknowledged possession of his remains. “Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir met this evening with the Goldin family and updated them on the information known to the IDF so far,” the military said, without specifying what the information was. “The chief of the general staff emphasised his…

KHARTOUM: Sudan’s poverty rate has surged from 21% to 71% due to the ongoing conflict, leaving 23 million citizens below the poverty line, the official Suna news agency reported at the weekend. The Sudanese government is implementing productive projects and creating jobs to combat poverty, Suna quoted Minister of Human Resources and Social Welfare Mutasim Ahmed Saleh as saying. He stressed directing corporate social responsibility funds toward development projects and expanding microfinance programmes for those who lost income sources. The ministry is co-ordinating with the Central Bank of Sudan to ease financing conditions and increase lending limits for small-scale projects to support families and revive the economy, he added. According to a report, 21.2 million people faced high levels of acute food insecurity in September, with famine conditions. |…

PARIS: France’s foreign minister vowed at the weekend to “defeat” rapidly spreading drug trafficking in Europe, as he spoke on a trip to Colombia, a major narcotics producer. Jean-Noel Barrot is in the country for a summit between the EU and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, which will take place in the city of Santa Marta yesterday and today. Speaking in nearby Puerto Antioquia, a port terminal in north-western Colombia where the powerful Clan del Golfo cartel operates, Barrot said France was “resolved to defeat trafficking of all kinds – not just in drugs –which raises public health concerns.” He said Paris would not sit by and watch “the explosion of drug trafficking in Latin America, in the Caribbean, and also in Europe”. |…