Table of contents for 2024-01-29 in Mercury

Cosatu welcomes the government’s announcement that the long-awaited Extension of Security of Tenure Amendment Act will come into effect from April 1. However, we must register our deep disappointment that this progressive law has been delayed for so long. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development must now move with speed and efficiency to ensure it is fully implemented as a matter of urgency by national, provincial and local government. While most of the onus for its implementation rests with the department as well as its counterparts in local government and the courts in particular, employers in the agricultural sector too have a critical role to play. If the law is to meet its progressive objectives, reach ordinary farmworkers and residents and help promote labour market stability in…

EXPERTS have expressed differing views on the appointment of the new traditional prime minister of the amaZulu nation by King Misuzulu kaZwelithini. One expert said the decision to appoint Thulasizwe Buthelezi, the mayor of the Zululand District Municipality and a senior leader of the IFP, was welcomed and long overdue, while another said it was a blunder. The role had been held by the late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi. King Misuzulu announced over the weekend that Buthelezi has been appointed as the new Zulu traditional prime minister. He will be deputised by the former chairperson of the KwaZulu-Natal House of Traditional Leaders, Inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza. The announcement was made during the event to commemorate the Battle of Isandlwana in Nquthu, northern KZN, at the weekend. It comes as the legal battle…

SAGARMATHA Technologies is suing President Cyril Ramaphosa and various organs of state and regulatory bodies for R50 billion ($3bn). Sagarmatha is the second company in the Sekunjalo Group to claim for damages from various organs of state and regulatory bodies for allegedly deliberately withholding permission to list on a foreign exchange. In a statement yesterday, Sekunjalo Investment Holdings said Sagarmatha has complied with terms of section 3(1) and (2) of the Institution of Legal Proceedings Against Certain Organs of State Act No 40 of 2002 (“the Institution Act”), by giving the various respondents six months’ notice. These include the President of the Republic of South Africa, Dr Leila Fourie, who is group chief executive officer of JSE Limited, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola, the National Treasury, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and…

I have today, in my capacity as DA provincial leader and member of the KZN Legislature written to the President of the Republic of South Africa and the KZN Premier appealing for help as the water crisis affecting large parts of eThekwini continues to worsen. A humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the province’s only metro as more than an estimated one million people are left without water for days, weeks and in some cases months at a time. I am fully cognisant of the recent flood damage that has compounded the problem of water supply in some areas of the city. However, this humanitarian crisis is now a few years in the making, with little or no solution in sight. City officials continue to lay a portion of the blame…

Brett Fish Anderson is a Capetonian Podcaster. Out of the Fish Bowl is the title of his podcast. Newspaper columns and websites and podcasts can give readers and users and listeners a feeling of intimacy with writers and broadcasters. I feel an intimacy and camaraderie with Brett as readers have often expressed they feel with me. We’ve never met but I know Brett is a writer, speaker, thinker, justice-lover, and fearless provocateur. It’s easy to discern that he is kind, thoughtful and service-oriented. Most of all – I think I have listened to all of his work – I know he is learning and teaching what it means to be a really good neighbour. Please give Out of the Fish Bowl a listen. Brett challenges listeners in the kindest, warmest…

A North West woman has been found guilty of organising the murders of her parents and siblings in 2016. At the time of the crime, Onthatile Sebati, was just 15-years-old. She reportedly paid her cousins, Tumelo and Kagiso Mokone, R50 000 each from monies she received as payouts after her parents’ deaths. The trio, who appeared in the High Court in Pretoria, were charged with murder, theft, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in Gauteng, Lumka Mahanjana, said Sebati conspired with her co-accused to kill her police officer father Solomon Lucky Sebati, her nurse mother Mmatshepo, as well as her 19-year-old pregnant sister Tshegofatso and six-year-old brother Quinton at their home in Mmakau, in the North West. According…

The tragic death of a primary school pupil during an excursion last week in Pretoria has sparked concern about safety during these outings. Laerskool Queenswood learner Latoya Temilton, 12, drowned during a one-day school excursion to Wag ‘n Bietjie Resort in Witkoppen, Olifantsfontein. The Teddy Bear Foundation, which offers holistic treatment to mistreated children, also spoke about safety protocols, pointing out that they were disregarded. “The drowning at Laerskool Queenswood is a poignant reminder of the imperative need for strict safety adherence in educational outings. The DA urged the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) to prioritise pupil safety. “The DA urges the GDE to mandate protective measures during school outings following the tragic drowning of Latoya Temilton. We demand schools prioritise learner safety and implement necessary precautions. Our hearts go…

The government on Friday announced rebates on frozen chicken imports, a move likely to keep a check on rising chicken prices for consumers amid a cost of living crisis. The Association of Meat Importers and Exporters of Southern Africa (Amie) welcomed the International Trade Administration Commission’s (Itac) decision on rebates for chicken imports and said the rebates would help poor households. The Government Gazette on Friday said the decision to introduce the rebates was to avoid any shortage of chicken after some 8.5 million chickens – a large portion of the South African flock – had to be culled last year following an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). The decision provides for a 30% rebate on boneless and 25% on bone-in cuts of imported chicken. Trade, Industry and…

THE ANC has accused the DA of using the Western Cape Provincial Powers Bill to appease its conservative voters. Last year, the DA tabled the bill at the provincial legislature, citing the lack of provision of basic services, including energy, policing and rail at national level when the national government falls short, as the reasons for the bill. “The bill creates a framework for the province to … get more powers delegated from national government,” the DA said. “It not only enables but instructs the provincial government to step in as far as constitutionally possible where national government is failing to perform a function.” Thembi Nkadimeng, speaking on the sidelines of an ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting at the weekend, said the party was alarmed that the “Western…

South Africa’s historic victory at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has raised hopes and rekindled the international community’s commitment to the Palestinian cause. The court’s measures, although falling short of a call for a ceasefire, offers significant progress in addressing the plight of the Palestinian people. South Africa’s win, which was celebrated across the world, serves as a crucial stepping stone towards justice, peace and stability in Gaza. One of the most important benefits of South Africa’s triumph is the potential for enhanced humanitarian support and relief efforts for the people of Palestine. The court’s decision paves the way for increased humanitarian assistance, facilitating vital aid to reach those most affected by the ongoing conflict. The measures imposed by the court encourage states and the international community to bolster…

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal was visiting a cattle farm yesterday, his office said, as agricultural unions prepare to mount a “siege” on the French capital to pressure the government into meeting their demands on pay, tax and regulations. The leaders of two of France’s largest farming unions said Saturday that members from the regions around Paris “will begin an indefinite siege of the capital”. “All the major roads leading to the capital will be occupied by farmers,” they added. Farmers from the Lot-et-Garonne region, one of the hotspots of the protest movement in southern France, had already announced their intention to “go to Paris” on Monday. They intend to blockade the massive Rungis wholesale food market south of the capital. French farmers are furious at what they say is…

New Delhi: Afghan men have limited options when visiting the barbershop if they do not want to be accused of walking away looking like a trendy Westerner or a North Korean dictator, reports said. No haircuts that make them look like an “infidel” are allowed. No trimmed eyebrows. And no shaved faces or beards shorter than the optimal length, the report said. Any of those styles are considered a fashion sin, according to new rules for barbers issued by the Taliban. The rules appeared to single out the hairstyle of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un, whose head is shaved on the sides and back, and topped with longer hair. | IANS…

Karachi: Pakistani police detained at least two dozen supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan yesterday as they tried to rally in the country’s biggest city ahead of elections next month. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has been severely hamstrung ahead of the February 8 poll, with rallies banned, its party symbol taken away, and dozens of candidates rejected from eligibility to stand. Yesterday, PTI officials urged supporters to rally despite police withdrawing or declining permission for the gatherings. Around 2 000 gathered in Karachi, where AFP correspondents saw about two dozen PTI supporters detained by police and taken away in trucks. | AFP…

ARYNA Sabalenka won a second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open on Saturday by marrying her undoubted tennis prowess with a more relaxed mentality and the discipline to stick with her strategy. After her breakthrough at Melbourne Park last year to clinch a first major, the powerful 25-year-old Belarusian again demonstrated she has what it takes to come out on top, beating Chinese 12th seed Zheng Qinwen 6-3 6-2. The emphatic win on a cool Melbourne evening removed her fear of being a one-hit wonder – a fate that has befallen many of her contemporaries since the dominant era of Serena Williams. In doing so, she became the first female player to mount a successful title defence at Melbourne Park since compatriot Victoria Azarenka in 2013. “I think my…

EQUITY markets on the JSE turned around last week after a strong downward trend during the first three weeks of the year. The news that South Africa’s inflation rate was 5.1% year-on-year (y/y) in December, and 6% for 2023, better than expectations of 5.3% for December and 6.1% for 2023, came as good news for markets. Food and non-alcoholic beverages increased by 8.5% (y/y). This is the third month in a row that it has increased at a lower rate. Transport (including fuel) had increased by only 2.6% on the previous December, as fuel itself decreased by -2.5% (y/y). The producer price inflation rate (PPI) increased by 4% in December (y/y). This is also much lower than the 4.5% rate in November and better than the expected rate of 4.3%.…

FORMER president Jacob Zuma addressed a rally of the MK Party in KwaXimba, outside Cato Ridge, yesterday as the national executive committee (NEC) of the ANC was seized with what decision to make after Zuma endorsed the newly formed party. Zuma’s address in KwaXimba, in what was the ANC’s biggest ward by membership in the country and a stronghold, was seen as a message to the governing party that the MK Party will be a credible challenger in this year’s provincial and national elections. Zuma told the thousands of supporters in the audience that the government’s plan to address inequality, poverty and unemployment had been on track since the advent of democracy but that this had changed. “We have reached 30 years of freedom, and poverty and suffering have re-emerged,”…

SO, OUR foreign minister Naledi Pandor has also assisted to yank the twisted records straight eh? Black people were always considered inferior. Not just by white colonists, even by Arab slave merchants. Smaller brains, ugly, close to Neanderthals. Underdeveloped. Undeserving of a standard education. They all said this. In one way or another. Malan, Jan Smuts, Martinus Westus, Verwoerd, Vorster and, more recently, Botha. But let us once again view the clip of Pandor, immediately after that historical moment when South Africa accompanied by the virtual Bill of Human Rights, expressed, crystal clearly, with neat diction and absolute King’s English that would make even masters like Roger Moore feel small-stylish replies to all questions by foreign journalists without displaying an ounce of impatience or being frayed by any part…

Whether over so-called global warming or what is touted as a looming world war, alarmism is rife in the mainstream media and among its scribes like Farouk Araie (The Mercury, January 26). The sabre rattling of nuclear arsenals and the dire threat of global annihilation are false flags being hoisted as a means of diverting attention away from the growing exposure of and opposition to the globalist elites and their Orwellian objectives. When Donald Trump was president, none of this annihilation nonsense was occurring. Even the egomaniac, Kim Jong-Un of North Korea, behaved himself and, as Trump has disclosed, was on good terms with him. During Trump’s presidency there were no wars. So the question the alarmists should ask themselves is: why under the Manchurian resident in the White House…

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has said that it was cognisant of issues raised by civil society organisations and the need for reforms to the marriage laws. This after Cosatu and its affiliate National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) made calls for the overhaul of marriage laws when they made written submissions on the Divorce Amendment Bill that is now before the National Council of Provinces. In June 2022, the Constitutional Court found the Divorce Act to be unconstitutional and ordered Parliament to fix the constitutional defects within 24 months. The apex court held, in a matter brought by the Women’s Legal Centre Trust, that the Divorce Act was unconstitutional to the extent that it failed to recognise Muslim marriages which have not been registered as…

THE SANDF has expressed reservations about the bill which decriminalises cannabis for private use by adult persons. This emerged when the Select Committee on Security and Justice considered the submissions received from members of the public. The National Council of Provinces received 46 written submissions when it put up the bill for public comment in December. Submissions closed last Friday. Parliament has until September 2024 to fix the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act, which was found unconstitutional for criminalising the use or possession of cannabis by an adult in private for that adult’s personal consumption in 2018. Deputy Justice Minister John Jeffery said the bill attempted to go as wide as possible to effectively decriminalise cannabis by removing it from the Drugs and Trafficking Act. He noted…

Two men were shot dead and a third wounded in a drive-by shooting in Montclair, in the Durban south area, on Saturday night. Provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala said three people were in a vehicle in Woodlands when they were shot at by people travelling in another vehicle. “Two occupants were declared dead at the scene. The driver was taken to hospital. The Montclair SAPS are investigating.” Garrith Jamieson from ALS Paramedics said: “Paramedics arrived with Emergency Medical Response Services to find the SAPS already in attendance.” Jamieson said the paramedics found three men in the vehicle. “Two believed to be in their 30s sustained multiple gunshot wounds and were declared deceased at the scene,” Jamieson said. The third man, also in his 30s, sustained multiple…

Earth observation can be used for the sustainable management of natural resources THE recently held Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Week and Ministerial Summit from November 6 to 10 in Cape Town shone a spotlight on the importance of Earth observation and its benefit to humankind. Defined by the GEO as the gathering of information about planet Earth’s physical, chemical and biological systems, Earth observation (EO) involves monitoring and assessing the status of, and changes in, the natural and man-made environment. It can be used for exploiting new opportunities, such as the sustainable management of natural resources. GEO is a global network of over 100 national governments and institutions. Its aim is to improve the availability and use of EO for sustainable development and sound environmental management. In the…

US Republican front-runner Donald Trump said he wants to be held responsible for blocking a bipartisan border security bill in the works in the Senate as President Joe Biden seeks emergency authority to rein in a record surge of unauthorised border crossings. “There is zero chance I will support this horrible open borders betrayal of America,” Trump told a rowdy crowd of supporters at a rally in Las Vegas on Saturday, ahead of the state’s presidential caucus on February 8. “I’ll fight it all the way. A lot of the senators are trying to say, respectfully, they’re blaming it on me. I say, that’s okay. Please blame it on me. Please.” Trump’s opposition follows Biden’s statement on Friday praising the deal and pledging to use its new authorities to “shut…

One man died after armed assailants opened fire in an Italian church in Istanbul during Sunday mass in an apparent assassination attempt that was swiftly condemned by Pope Francis. The attack occurred at the Santa Maria church in the Sariyer district of Istanbul on the European side and was carried out by two masked men, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on social media. Turkish officials said the attack looked like a targeted attack against one person rather than against the Catholic church. The minister said an individual identified only as CT – who was among those attending Sunday’s service – was the target of the gun attack and lost his life. An investigation had been launched to find the attackers, Yerlikaya added, who fled the scene after the shooting. Local…

Austin: Thousands marched on Saturday in an anti-abortion rally in Texas, demanding providers of the procedure “stay away” from the conservative US state. “Pro-life” activists gathered outside the state Capitol in Austin, carrying signs with slogans reading “Abortion hurts women” and “Pray to end abortion.” The topic is a constant hot-button issue in American politics – and even more so in an election year. A 2022 Supreme Court decision ending the federal right to the procedure was a huge win for the anti-abortion movement. Many states have tightened their laws, but the anti-abortion movement has suffered setbacks. | AFP…

Paris: Two protesters yesterday hurled soup at the bullet-proof glass protecting Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa in Paris, demanding the right to “healthy and sustainable food”, an AFP journalist saw. Two women threw red and orange soup onto the glass protecting the smiling lady to gasps from the crowd in the French capital’s Louvre museum. The action comes as French farmers have been protesting for days to demand better pay, taxes and regulations. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on Friday announced several measures, but road blockages have continued in different parts of the country. | AFP…

COACHLESS and lucky to still be around, host nation Ivory Coast go into their Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 clash against defending champions Senegal at the Charles Konan Stadium tonight (10pm) resembling sheep being led to the slaughter. The Elephants were so bitterly disappointing in the round robin phase of the tournament – during which they won a single match and lost the other two – that they even needed an armed escort when leaving the pitch after their shock 4-0 defeat by Equatorial Guinea. Senegal, on the other hand, were the star performers of the group stage – the Lions of Teranga being the only team with a 100% record from their three matches. Cue defeat for the Ivory Coast, right? After all, how can a team…

GUESS who’s back on the rumour mill! Nonku Williams, fabulous star of The Real Housewives of Durban, is once again making waves with dating rumours – or should we say, business ventures? And this time, it’s all thanks to her business collab with Tumelo Ramaphosa, President Cyril Ramaphosa's son. The internet exploded when videos of Williams and Tumelo went viral – cosy much? It all started with a sneaky dinner date late last year and now it seems the duo is cooking up more than just romance. Hold on to your glasses, folks! A recent Instagram post spilled the tea about Williams’s A2B Wines and Tumelo’s Studex Meat teaming up for a sizzling business deal. Mixing business with pleasure? These two sure know how to keep us guessing. The caption…

EXPERTS have warned that recent water outages experienced in eThekwini may worsen if urgent action is not taken to deal with failing and ageing infrastructure. They were commenting as businesses in the city explained the impact of water outages on their operations and the steps they were taking to ensure they had water supply. Several areas across Durban, in the north and south, have been experiencing continuous or intermittent water outages in recent weeks. The eThekwini Municipality said last week that the range of issues were due to problems including damage caused by the recent floods, ageing infrastructure, and vandalism. It said the outages were being dealt with. Professor Tafadzwa Mabhaudhi, professor on Climate Change, Food Systems and Health and an honorary professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, said…

THE IFP notes the judgment handed down by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the matter relating to the ongoing humanitarian crisis and conflict in the Gaza Strip. This judgment underscores the urgent need for all parties to the conflict to uphold the rule of law and to explore all possible avenues towards finding a lasting solution in the Middle East. The IFP is of the view that such lasting peace can only be found when both Israel and Palestine, as well as allied groupings such as Hamas, recommit themselves to genuine negotiations leading towards the realisation of the two-state solution. The IFP holds firm that the ruling must be respected and upheld and be the basis for renewing the peace process and negotiations by all parties involved, namely…

SOME notes on family relations come this way. They concern an exchange between a senior citizen and his daughter. “Yesterday my daughter emailed me AGAIN asking why I don’t do something useful with my time. “Like sitting around the pool and drinking wine is not a good thing?” I asked. “Talking about my ‘doing something useful’ seems to be her favourite topic of conversation. She was ‘only thinking of me’, she said, and suggested that I go down to the Seniors Centre and hang out with the fellows. “I did that and when I got home last night I decided to play a prank on her. I emailed her and told her I had joined a parachute club” She replied: “Are you nuts? You’re 65 years old and now you’re…

A former attorney, found guilty of stealing millions of rand from his clients, has been sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment. Langelihle Dube was sentenced by the Durban Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on theft charges amounting to R2.3 million. Dube, who ran his own firm, was arrested following an investigation by the Attorneys Fidelity Fund and police. Dube never made payments to two clients, despite the monies being paid into his account. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) provincial spokesperson, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said Dube stole from two of his clients between 2009 and 2011. “In the first instance, R1.4 million was paid into Dube’s trust account by the Road Accident Fund (RAF) meant for a young boy who had been seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident. The second amount of R900 000…

There has been a considerable rise in mass murders in South Africa in recent years. David Bruce, independent researcher and Institute for Security Studies consultant said the number of incidents in which three or more people were killed in 2022 was 140% higher than in 2019/20. “Together with major increases in the murder rate, these killings highlight a significant shift in violent crime, characterised by the rise of firearm use and entrenched organised crime, particularly in some provinces.” He was commenting after five members of a Pietermaritzburg family were killed last Wednesday. The family including a 85-year-old woman, her 45-year-old daughter and her three children, 11-year-old twins and a nine-year-old were murdered with an axe. Two men were arrested. Bruce added that the provinces where multiple murders contribute most to…

One person has won the R120 million Powerball jackpot from Friday’s draw. The jackpot had rolled over for 19 consecutive times and climbed to a guaranteed staggering R120 million for the January 26 draw. According to the National Lottery Ithuba website, one person had won the jackpot by guessing the five correct numbers and the Powerball number. A total of nine others had guessed five correct numbers and will each walk away with almost R94 800. In addition, 53 people had four correct numbers and they will each get R10 000. The Powerball Plus jackpot was not won. Announcing the details of the draw, Ithuba CEO Charmaine Mabuza said: “This jackpot stands as a symbol of our unwavering commitment to enhancing the National Lottery experience and making…

More than five million people travelled into, and out of South Africa during the 2023/24 festive season, the Border Management Authority (BMA) announced on Sunday. At a media briefing in Pretoria yesterday, commissioner of the Border Management Authority, Dr Mike Masiapato said the 5 096 288 travellers legitimately entered or left South Africa, and the majority of travellers used the OR Tambo International Airport in Gauteng. This number represented an increase of one million travellers compared to the 2022/2023 number of four million travellers. “In facilitating the movement of these travellers we processed over 216 594 private vehicles; 21 502 minibus taxis; 6 443 buses and 55 765 trucks through our movement control system. Further, we processed over 13 050 aircraft through our international airports and about 709 vessels…

THIS year’s elections will leave opposition parties yearning for more than they could get from the results when the ANC emerges victorious. Among the many factors that will make the ANC win is the lack of coherent and substantive opposition, and popular politics, ie, the now-vague anti-corruption campaign, with no concrete plans on how to arrest graft. Out of 15 863 558 voters in 2004, the ANC won 10 880 915 (69.7%), leaving the opposition parties to scramble with 30.3% of the votes. This was a decisive victory for the party and confidence in President Thabo Mbeki, notwithstanding popular claims that the second administration was aloof. An important lesson from the 2004 victory is that South Africans are people of substance as far as politics is concerned. That is why…

Heavy fighting raged in Gaza yesterday amid a fierce row over the UN agency for Palestinian refugees that has called its future into question. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on donor states to guarantee the flow of vital aid to Gaza after several halted funding to the agency, UNRWA, over Israeli claims that some of its staff participated in the October 7 attacks. The Israeli army said special forces were continuing to engage in “intensive battles” in Gaza’s main southern city of Khan Yunis, where it said troops eliminated “terrorists and located large quantities of weapons”. Strikes were also carried out in central and northern Gaza, it added. As heavy fighting sent more people fleeing south towards the Egyptian border, the row over the UNRWA aid agency for Palestinian…

The far-right AfD party faces its first electoral test yesterday after huge protests swept across Germany against the anti-immigration group over revelations of debates about mass expulsions of foreigners. Over a million people marched in cities from Hamburg to Dresden to Stuttgart in protest at the Alternative for Germany party during recent days and tens of thousands poured into the streets again on Saturday. Yesterday’s run-off vote in eastern Thuringia for a district administrator is the first election since the Potsdam meeting. The vote in the Saale-Orla district – in a state that is one of the AfD’s strongholds – pits the party’s Uwe Thrum against the conservative CDU’s Christian Herrgott. Thrum came in top with 45.7% while Herrgott obtained only 33.3% in the first round. If Thrum prevails,…

Tehran: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards yesterday seized a foreign oil tanker carrying 2 million litres of “smuggled fuel” near the country’s southern coast, reports said. The ship “was seized in accordance with a court order”, the agency said, quoting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Haidar Honaryan. Fourteen crew members were also arrested, he noted, saying they were nationals of “two Asian countries”, without specifying which. Iran, a major oil producer, has among the cheapest petrol prices in the world, which encourages fuel trafficking. Iranian forces regularly target tankers illegally transporting fuel in the Gulf. | AFP…

Colombo: Suspected Somali pirates have boarded and hijacked a Sri Lankan fishing trawler with six crew in the latest attack against shipping in the Indian Ocean, Colombo’s navy said yesterday. “Our information is they were captured by Somali pirates,” said Sri Lankan navy spokesperson Gayan Wickramasuriya, adding the Lorenzo Putha-4 was seized on Saturday 840 nautical miles southeast of the Somali capital Mogadishu. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have launched attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden targeting Israeli-linked vessels in response to the Gaza war. Naval forces have been diverted north from the Gulf of Aden into the Red Sea, sparking fears of resurgent pirate attacks. | AFP…

Robin Peterson was a fiery character that wore his heart on his sleeve during his playing days Now, as MI Cape Town head coach, Peterson has laid down the gauntlet to his under-performing team. MI Cape Town are struggling for a successive SA20 season. Last year they finished in last place and are now just one spot above the basement in season 2, on nine points, after the defeat to Sunrisers Eastern Cape over the weekend. After a scintillating start to the season by the openers Ryan Rickelton and Rassie van der Dussen, the runs have dried up at the top and have now exposed a middle-order that hasn't been able to find a winning formula. There has certainly been a reliance on trying to find the boundaries instead of…