Índice para 2021-06-04 em Cape Times

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za NASPERS subsidiary Prosus fell 2.5 percent on the JSE to R1 424.33 yesterday in spite of announcing a $1.8 billion (R24.4bn) deal to acquire the online learning company Stack Overflow. The acquisition of the online learning platform for developers and technologists seemed well appreciated by analysts and social media though. But the acquisition failed to stem the downward trend of Naspers and Prosus that started in May, and in spite of generally higher stocks on the JSE that month. Anchor Capital fund management and analyst Mike Gresty said he believed Prosus’s share was down was because Hong Kong-listed Tencent, which comprises 85 percent of the net asset value of Prosus, was down 2.07 percent when the marked closed in Hong Kong, while…

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za JUBILEE, a leader in metals processing in Africa, said yesterday that it had acquired more than 10 years of additional mine life through a new platinum group metals (PGM) feed supply agreement with a chrome-mining customer. The deal would expand its PGM operations to the Eastern Limb of the PGM-rich Bushveld Complex. “To date, Jubilee’s PGM operational footprint has been largely limited to the Western Limb of the mineral-rich Bushveld Complex, a single area of the two main PGM areas in South Africa. This new long-term supply agreement is of significant strategic value and expands our operations on to the Eastern Limb, providing a platform for further opportunities,” Jubilee chief executive Leon Coetzer said. In addition, Jubilee acquired 255 000 tons of PGM-containing chrome tailings,…

From page 1 Senior inspector from NSPCA’s Farm Animal Protection Unit Grace de Lange said: “We are so grateful for the support of The Donkey Sanctuary. “The charity’s generosity means we can now focus our efforts and funding appeals on the long-term welfare, veterinary needs and rehoming of these donkeys, which have suffered terrible neglect and abuse at the hands of brutal animal traders.” Simon Pope, tactical response lead for The Donkey Sanctuary, said: “The NSPCA works incredibly hard to combat the illegal skin trade in South Africa, and Grace and her team are on the front line of that battle. “This rescue of donkeys destined for slaughter is inspirational. So, too, is the devotion and care now being given to these hard-working animals.”…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za AXED Western Cape detective head Major-General Jeremy Vearey has spoken about “tribalism and ethno-nationalism” in the SAPS that was affecting top coloured officers from getting certain posts. Vearey alleged this was because of the actions of minority national police generals and he had raised the issue on numerous occasions, including with National Commissioner Khehla Sitole, to no avail. “I was the one when national commissioner Sitole came to brief us about the ‘Simunye: We are One’ programme to raise that we are dealing with the problem of tribalism in the organisation. If we go to certain parts of the country there is a preference for a certain demographic. We are a national police service, not a Bantustan confederacy,” Vearey said during an interview with eNCA. He…

Staff writer WITH the Covid-19 health pandemic leading to mass job losses globally, the government said it will continue to use programmes such as the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to provide work opportunities to poor and unemployed South Africans. The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure(DPWI) as the lead coordinator of the EPWP announced that the government has created a total of 938 688 EPWP work opportunities during the 2020/21 financial year, from April 2020 to March 2021. These work opportunities were created through 13 496 EPWP projects implemented across four EPWP sectors, namely Infrastructure, Non-State, Environment and Culture, and Social. “Through these work opportunities, the government has transferred a total of R9.3 billion as income support to EPWP participants in the 20/21 financial year alone.…

Reviewer: Julian Richfield CHRISTINE Eva Mazza Loot.co.za (R199) MELINDA FERGUSSON EVA Mazza is a consummate storyteller, and her first two novels Sex Lies and Stellenbosch and Sex Lies Declassified were hugely successful. She turns up the heat in her new book, Christine and she takes the setting away from Stellenbosch. Christine is a hairdresser in Joburg in an abusive marriage. She reaches the point of needing to escape. Emboldened by the desire to unlock her life’s shackles, she buys a ticket to Amsterdam where she has managed to arrange a job for herself as a hairstylist at a salon in an upmarket hotel there. She soon settles into her newly liberated lifestyle and the pleasures of her new work and of living in a vibrant European city. Stimulated by…

Lisa Isaacs lisa.isaacs@inl.co.za THE majority of new Covid-19 cases are being recorded in more affluent areas, head of health in the province Dr Keith Cloete said yesterday. During the provincial digicon briefing yesterday, Cloete said the province has over the past four weeks seen a consistent increase in cases. “We are formally in resurgence. We are just short of entering a third wave. Hospitalisations are starting to go up. Oxygen use in those hospitals is starting to go up,” Cloete said. The province was seeing an average of 320 new diagnoses each day and 40 new hospital admissions a day. Deaths remain stable at about five or six daily. “The clear increase in cases is predominantly from private sector laboratories, the increase in hospital admissions is now predominantly in…

Charles Thomas | Claremont IT IS a matter of deep concern that the City of Cape Town (CoCT) continues its vendetta against the most vulnerable in society, the homeless (Cape Times front page article “City ‘incites hatred of homeless,’” May 28). The City’s “street people complaints form” is a grotesque, shameful concept. It is likely to elicit a flurry of exaggerated moans from the DA’s most conservative supporters – those living in the privileged suburbs of Cape Town, for whom the homeless are a nuisance akin to vermin. Homeless people don’t bring votes, but victimising them does. The kind of heartlessness we’re seeing is reminiscent of that reflected in the notorious “concentration camp” erected by the DA-administration in Strandfontein not long ago, as its solution to the Covid-19…

R.Bartes | Manenberg WHEN reporting on the many societal problems in Cape Town, authorities mention various causes. Residents’ own use and abuse of drugs are often underemphasised, especially in the Cape Flats. Residents are quick to criticise the government authorities for failure to fulfil their mandate in addressing these ills. They are, however, slow to accept responsibility for their own destructive habits such as these. What is needed for people to do so? Both on the part of the perpetrators and the victims, these substances have been implicated in women and child abuse, gangsterism, assault, murder, robbery, vandalism, rape, worsening poverty, and pedestrian and motor vehicle accidents. The ban on alcohol sales during previous lockdowns to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 was a major relief for those…

MICHAEL BAGRAIM | Highlands Estate THE Auditor General last week came out with a report of the performance of the Unemployment Insurance Fund. For over a year readers of the Cape Times have been complaining about the various problems the workers of South Africa have experienced over the last few years and in particular during the Covid-19 period. The Auditor General, the Supreme Audit Institution of South Africa, has reported a disclaimed opinion about the financial statements of the UIF and indicates there had been a regression in the control environment. They said that there was “material non-compliance with legislation”. They went on to say, “disciplinary hearings were not held for confirmed cases of financial misconduct committed by some of the officials”. This is extremely serious and shows…

Beijing’s vision is effective in addressing the challenges of the coronavirus Covid-19 has been around for more than a year, but the situation is still complicated and severe. The international community is looking forward to more co-operation against the virus. When President Xi Jinping was invited to attend the Global Health Summit via video link, he put forward a five-point proposal to support international co-operation against Covid-19, namely: l To put people and their lives first. l To follow science-based policies and ensure a co-ordinated and systemic response. l To stick together and promote solidarity and co-operation. l To uphold fairness and equity when striving to close the immunisation gap. l And to address both the symptoms and root causes when improving the governance system. President Xi Jinping also announced…

Israelis eyed the end of an era yesterday after a motley alliance of parties from across the political spectrum agreed to form a government to unseat veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Opposition leader Yair Lapid announced the deal just minutes before a midnight Wednesday deadline, prompting celebrations into the early hours by the premier’s opponents and a defiant show of support by his fans. On paper, the prospective coalition commands a slender majority in parliament but a confidence vote is not expected for several days, giving Netanyahu time to woo potential defectors among the unlikely bedfellows ranged against him. With the threat of possible jail time hanging over him in his ongoing trial on corruption charges, the 71-year-old is unlikely to allow his record 12 straight years to end without…

Around 400 pro-democracy supporters took to the streets of downtown Yangon yesterday to stage one of the biggest recent demonstrations against military rule in Myanmar’s commercial hub and largest city. Despite a crackdown by security forces, the military is still struggling to impose order more than four months after overthrowing Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government in a coup and arresting her and senior members of her party. Demonstrators in urban areas have had to become more nimble to avoid security forces, often using flash mobs that quickly disperse, after big rallies in the first months after the coup were frequently met with troops or police firing live rounds. Student activist Zayar Lwin pledged that protests against the coup would continue, although he said it was now harder to organise…

WASHINGTON: A book by Dr Anthony Fauci, Expect the Unexpected: Ten Lessons on Truth, Service, and the Way Forward appeared to have been removed from Amazon after being listed for pre-order, as well as from the Barnes & Noble bookstore. The book was slated to be published in November. The publisher, National Geographic Books, said the book had been put up for pre-sale “prematurely”, in error. It said Fauci would not earn any royalties from its publication. Fauci, the director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the chief medical advisor to the US president, has been criticised for attempting to profit from Covid-19 after more than 3 200 e-mails dating back to the beginning of the pandemic surfaced. The emails show that Fauci spoke…

DAMASCUS: Millions of people in northwest Syria face disaster if the UN fails to approve an extension of cross-border humanitarian operations next month, a senior UN aid official said yesterday. Some 3 million people, many displaced by fighting elsewhere in Syria during the decade-long conflict, have sought shelter near the border with Turkey, outside the President Bashar al-Assad’s control. Access for cross-border aid from Turkey was reduced last year to just one crossing point after opposition from Russia and China to renewing other crossings. A new showdown is likely next month when the operation’s mandate must be renewed. | Reuters…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE SOUTH African economy continued to grow at a solid pace in May despite the rate of expansion in private sector business performance slowing slightly from April’s recent peak. The IHS Markit purchasing managers index (PMI), released yesterday, edged down to 53.2 points in May from a record high of 53.7 points in April, however, this was the second-highest since November 2012. IHS Markit said surveyed businesses reported a solid increase in output in May, with the rate of growth one of the quickest recorded since data collection began in 2011. It said confidence towards future output remained robust in May, growing at the second-quickest rate since October 2014 and was the second-highest in more than three years. IHS Markit said firms were largely…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za A QUIET storm is brewing on the sustainability of the Health Levy, which encompasses the Sugar Tax, and the survival of the sugar industry following a report that indicates more might be lost by the sugar industry than is gained by the government shoring-up healthy living. A National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) sponsored study commissioned at the request of the portfolio committee for trade and industry highlights the devastating impact the tax has had on the sugar industry, as well as the broader economy, and on jobs. It indicates that the sugar industry is hemorrhaging more jobs, capital expenditure and opportunity cost than the state is benefitting from trying for a healthier nation. According to extracts released by SA Cane Growers Association chairperson Rex Telmange…

Zintle Mahlati zintle.mahlati@inl.co.za EMBATTLED Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize’s woes have worsened as Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane announced that her office was gunning for him, while the DA has lodged a criminal complaint against him. Pressure has been mounting on Mkhize to resign for his alleged involvement in the awarding of a R150 million contract to his associates. While DA MP Siviwe Gwarube has asked Cape Town police to probe the allegations against the minister, Mkhwebane’s office confirmed that a contempt of court complaint would be lodged against him for ignoring three subpoenas. The case was expected to be opened today, said Oupa Segalwe, the public protector’s spokesperson. Mkhize was subpoenaed to give evidence regarding an investigation into his department's alleged failure to implement the recommendations of a 2017…

Mpiletso Motumi mpiletso.motumi@inl.co.za DEMOCRATISING ownership is the primary aim of the upcoming NL Mutual Bank. This is what the founder, Nthabeleng Likotsi, emphasised at the inaugural day to buy shares in the bank. The launch took place on Tuesday after it was announced in March that the mutual bank would be established. “Today is the day we call for citizens to go inwards to find solutions to our economic challenges,” said Likotsi. The NL (Nthabeleng Likotsi) Mutual Bank’s vision is to be a leading African women-led bank that understands and services the needs of the unbanked, underserved and previously disadvantaged. Likotsi said: “As it is widely known, South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. Studies show the future of employment and economic growth are dependent…

SAPIENS – Volume 1: The Birth of Humankind Yuval Harari, David Vandermeulen, Daniel Casanave Loot.co.za (R363) JONATHAN CAPE PUBLISHED in 2011, Yuval Harari’s debut book, Sapiens, has gone on to be translated into sixty languages and enjoy global sales of over 16 million copies. Now he brings us the first volume of Sapiens – a Graphic History. Based on the phenomenal original, it offers something quite different in style. “The graphic format offers readers a new intellectual and artistic exploration of the past. “Human evolution is reimagined as a tacky reality TV show. “The first encounter between Sapiens and Neanderthals is explored through the masterpieces of modern art. “The extinction of the mammoths and sabre-toothed tigers is retold as a “whodunit” movie. “Come meet the gay Neanderthals, the all- powerful…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za WESTERN Cape Education MEC Debbie Schäfer has come under attack from more parents claiming she was “tone deaf” following complaints that the school admission policy was prejudiced and segregated learners from previously disadvantaged communities. Parents from different areas in the province, with a majority from the Cape Flats, alleged their deserving and academically performing children were continuously being rejected from affluent schools because of the areas they live in. Schäfer, however, denied this, claiming that the parents were trying to “jump the queue for schools of choice” and that was not one of the criteria that was applied. She said the department has previously outlined the appeal options available should a parent be unhappy with the outcome of their application. “We are in the early stages of…

Michael Wood | Bellville ONCE again the Cape Times trumpets from its front page (Friday May 28) the cause of the homeless and promotes the cause of Ndifuna Ukwazi, but offers little by way of a solution to the problem of our homeless in the metro. Just as spectators at a sports event jeer and shout the odds yet add not one iota to the score, these side-line commentators propose no solutions yet take up many inches of column space. They say they seek affordable housing solutions when, in fact, they are seeking free housing since the homeless would, for the greater part, not have the income to pay for anything. I wait eagerly for the day when headlines resound with: “Civic organisations, media and big business join hands with…

Jeremy Gordon | Sea Point WHY is the government not fast-tracking the approvals of the Russian and Chinese vaccines? How long can it take them to go through the paperwork of the trials and results that have already completed trials? Either these trials were adequate or they were not. Our health authority should either accept or reject them. These vaccines are being used by many countries. Why is there secrecy about the lack of supply of vaccines and why are some not being used if they are available? I think the public who is suffering the consequences of the slow vaccine roll-out, has a right to know.…

Gareth Austin | Pinelands HERE is something that everybody in South Africa seems to agree upon regarding the Israeli-Palestine conflict: everybody agrees that they, themselves, personally, understand the complexities of the crisis, and exactly who is to blame. I have never met somebody with an opinion on this matter who was not absolutely certain of their correctness, and often clamouring to die for it. Coincidentally, every Jewish person I have met is pro-Israeli state, and every Muslim person I know is pro-Palestine and anti Israel. It's as if your stance on this issue is actually just determined by the accident of where you were born, and into what religion and culture your views were nurtured through childhood. Our ignorance of the crisis is understandable, though, when it's all…

Southern Africa must show the world that it can resolve what is an African problem in Cabo Delgado in northern Mozambique, and the SADC must take the lead. The SADC is ready and willing to act by deploying the SADC standby force, but it just needs to be invited to do so by the government of Mozambique. As Minister for International Relations and Co-operation Naledi Pandor has said, the SADC should lead the process and determine the nature and conditions of support from external sources such as the EU or Portugal. Minister of State Security Ayanda Dlodlo has said that Mozambique’s reticence to enlist the help of its neighbours to quash the insurgency in Cabo Delgado ran counter to SADC’s regional assessment of how best to speedily halt the violence.…

India’s government signed its first purchase order for unapproved Covid-19 vaccines yesterday, a day after it faced criticism from the top judiciary about a bungled vaccine roll-out that has left millions of people vulnerable. After a devastating second wave of infections that killed tens of thousands in April-May, the focus has shifted to urgently inoculating India’s vast adult population to curb infections later this year. The government will buy 300 million doses from local firm Biological-E and has put down an advance of $205.6 million (R2.8 billion), the health ministry said, even though the vaccine is still undergoing clinical trials, before approvals can be given. “The arrangement with M/s Biological-E is part of the wider endeavour of the government of India to encourage indigenous vaccine manufacturers by providing them support…

A seven-hour breakdown of emergency phone line numbers in France was linked yesterday to up to three deaths, including that of a 63-year-old man who was unable to hail an ambulance after suffering a heart attack. Many distressed people found themselves unable to reach emergency medical, police or fire numbers, or had their calls cut off mid-conversation, for around seven hours this week. Telecom operator Orange has acknowledged responsibility for the problems, with chief executive Stephane Richard offering his “deepest apologies” after being summoned to the interior ministry to explain the breakdown. An investigation has been opened in the western Morbihan region after a man who had suffered a heart attack died in hospital in the town of Vannes after being driven there by his spouse. The patient and his…

Saint Petersburg: Russia said yesterday it was dropping the dollar from its National Wealth Fund and shifting to other currencies as the Kremlin presses ahead with efforts to jettison the greenback following rounds of US sanctions. Some economists said the move was designed to send a signal to Washington ahead of a summit between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden on June 16, amid tensions over human rights, election meddling, Ukraine and Belarus. The economy ministry said the share of dollar assets had been reduced to 0% from 35%. The euro would make up 40% of the fund, the yuan 30% and gold 20%. | AFP…

San Francisco: Twitter yesterday introduced its first subscription service, which has been dubbed “Blue” and offers added features for prolific tweeters, as it seeks to diversity its revenue streams beyond advertising. The feature, initially only available in Australia and Canada, could enable the social network to rely less on ads or promoted posts that disrupt the real-time flow of tweets that are a huge part of the global, one-to-many messaging platform’s appeal. Perks for Blue subscribers will include a brief window of time during which they can “undo” or tweak a tweet – though the feature is not an editing option long sought by Twitter users. | AFP…

Mike Greenaway mike.greenaway@inl.co.za IT goes without saying that the squad of Springboks that won the World Cup 18 months ago will en masse provide the core of the 45-man Bok squad announced tonight for the series against the British & Irish Lions. There are two logical reasons for this. Firstly, if ain’t broke, don’t try and fix it; and secondly, the Boks haven’t played since their day of glory in Yokohama which means there has been little opportunity for players to play their way in or out of favour. Of course, there has been a little attrition — Tendai Mtawarira, Francois Louw and Schalk Brits have retired — and there are question marks over the fitness of locks Lood de Jager and RG Snyman — but there will also be…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za S&P GLOBAL ratings agency yesterday warned about South Africa’s rising debt burden and substantial interest payments as risks to the country’s fiscal outlook. In a presentation during a live webinar, S&P lead analyst Ravi Bhatia said the slow progress on the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines and structural reforms would continue to hamper progress. South Africa has inoculated less than 2 percent of the population against Covid-19 while new infections are on the rise in a number of provinces. Bhatia said this would continue to constrain medium-term economic growth and limit the government’s ability to contain the debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio, in spite of South Africa’s near-term economic performance and current account experiencing a cyclical uplift. South Africa’s gross loan debt is forecast to increase from…

Ahmore Burger-Smidt PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has just signed the Cybercrimes Bill, which seeks to bring South Africa’s cybersecurity laws in line with the rest of the world, into law. The bill, which is now an Act of Parliament, creates offences for and criminalises, among others, the disclosure of data messages which are harmful. Examples of such data messages include: n Those which incite violence or damage to property. n Those which threaten persons with violence or damage to property. n Those which contain an intimate image. Other offences include cyberfraud, forgery, extortion and theft of incorporeal property. The unlawful and intentional access of a computer system or computer data storage medium is also considered an offence, along with the unlawful interception of, or interference with, data.…

From page 1 Corrupt Activities Act in the awarding of the contract to Digital Vibes. The party also lodged a complaint against health department director-general Dr Sandile Buthelezi for a possible contravention of the Public Finance Management Act. Gwarube said the police had confirmed that the case would be investigated by a special arm of the SAPS in the Western Cape. A Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe is also under way against Mkhize, and is expected to be concluded by next month, the unit’s head, Andy Mothibi, told Parliament on Wednesday. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has come under pressure to suspend Mkhize, said he was awaiting the conclusion of the SIU probe before he acted. “What is good, as I said yesterday, is that the minister is co-operating fully, and…

Zanele Mvana zanele.mvana@inl.co.za A KHAYELITSHA businesswoman has taken the initiative to bake bread for child-headed households in her community whom she can’t bear to see suffer. However, she is in need of ingredients to bake even more regularly. Sizeka Zisiwe, 34, is a mother and works as a service consultant in the automotive industry. She started the home-based bakery in June last year in an effort to give back to her community and bring hope to children from disadvantaged households. She bakes at least 20 loaves of bread a week. “As an individual who grew up here in Khayelitsha, I saw that many families were struggling, especially during the lockdown. Parents lost their jobs, and that affected children as their parents were not able to provide for them. “I…

RAPULA MOATSHE rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za THE launch of the 2021 China-Africa short video and photo competition in Beijing and on virtual platforms has been hailed as a way to strengthen diplomatic ties between the two partners. The competition is in its third year and it coincides with the 65th anniversary of the beginning of diplomatic ties between China and African countries. It will run under the theme “Friendship in Focus, Together for Future”, to give opportunities to video creators and photographers to document touching stories of China-Africa friendship and co-operation, including people-to-people bonds. Co-sponsors of the competition are the Secretariat of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation and China International Publishing Group (CIPG) and it is co-hosted by Beijing Review, Yangshipin, CGTN French and Trassion’s HippoAD and Vskit,…

| Orielle Berry The Battle Of Bangui Warren Thompson, Stephan Hofstatter, James Oatway Loot.co.za (R256) Penguin Random House THIS is the inside story of our country's worst military scandal since apartheid. In March 2013, South Africa suffered its worst military defeat since the end of apartheid. After a battle that lasted almost two days, 200 crack troops, engaging 7 000 rebels in the Central African Republic (CAR), were forced to negotiate a ceasefire at their base. Thirteen South African soldiers were killed in the battle, with two dying later as they succumbed to their wounds. From the start, the mission was shrouded in mystery. The deployment and the diplomatic negotiations that led to it were kept under cover from the public and Parliament. This, as well as varied shadowy…

Athandile Siyo athandile.siyo@inl.co.za CONVICTED rapist Luvo Phaliso has successfully appealed his life imprisonment sentence to a reduced 25 years, with the Western Cape High Court finding he is capable of being rehabilitated back into society. According to the judgment handed down on Wednesday, the court noted that he was 21 years old at the time he committed the offence; he is a father of two minors and a first offender who, despite not showing remorse, eventually admitted to raping the complainant. He had spent almost three years in prison at the time of his sentencing in November last year. “It is trite that it is appropriate to bring the period of imprisonment spent awaiting trial into account in imposing a custodial sentence. “The appellant (Phaliso), given his relative youthfulness,…

Odwa Mkentane odwa.mkentane@inl.co.za THREE accused, Stellenbosch deputy mayor Nyaniso Jindela, his wife, Unathi, and Gladstone Relegu, were each released on R5 000 bail in connection with the murder of a former deputy mayor, Cameron Mcako. The three appeared at the Stellenbosch Magistrate’s Court yesterday and were charged with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, illegal possession of a firearm, and illegal possession of ammunition. Jindela, 56, Unathi, 46, and Relegu, 48, were arrested on Tuesday in connection with killing Mcako who was the second prominent political figure to be killed in Kayamandi amid intense clashes for prime land to be made available for the poor in 2019. The fourth suspect, Phumlani Sibongo, has already appeared on the same charges. Mcako was shot at his tavern and later died in…

Barbie Sandler | Constantia HOMELESSNESS is a blot on our society. It’s dreadful to think of people who have nothing and are forced to live under a bit of plastic either in the baking heat or in the rain and cold. But sadly the City is damned if it does and damned if it doesn’t. Tents and shelters being put up in parks, public spaces and pavements is not the solution as the City gets many complaints from shop owners whose businesses are being affected, people wanting to go to their nearest park for recreation but can't, bad behaviour in their neighbourhoods, etc. But what is the solution? When the first lockdown came the homeless were moved to Strandfontein but that was a disaster. Does anyone know why? They had…

Brian Pittman | Fish Hoek MY CONGRATULATIONS to the Western Cape vaccine roll-out. I registered on April 17 and received an immediate email confirmation. Three days later I received an SMS confirming my registration and on May 23, received an SMS giving me my registration number and the date and time that I could go for my “jab”. My appointment time was from 12pm to 2pm and on the specified day I arrived at the Bellville Community Dental Clinic at 11am. I was signed in although I was early and was taken to the vaccine area to be greeted by a friendly group of professional nurses and once again my details were taken and I was given the “jab”. The nurses kindly agreed to take a photograph of…

THE Premier Soccer League’s flagship competition, the DStv Premiership, has stood the test of time in the face of demanding challenges which it embraced with poise and patience. Just over a year ago, the PSL were stunned when Absa announced that they were pulling the plug on its sponsorship. Absa and the PSL had a fruitful relationship that included a 13-year Premiership sponsorship. The setback stung the PSL into enterprising endeavour in the search for a replacement. Two months later, the PSL announced that DStv, owned by MultiChoice, was the new headline sponsor, with a five-year contract. At the time, it was a courageous call by DStv because the Covid-19 pandemic had decimated the sports industry worldwide. The new sponsors would have seen that the pandemic was creating worldwide turmoil.…

This week, on my blog www.keo.co.za, I wrote that Siya Kolisi had to be leading the Springboks into battle against the British & Irish Lions on the 24th July at Cape Town Stadium in the first of three Tests. ‘Duh’, wasn’t I stating the obvious? was the first retort. ‘Siya’s the World Cup-winning captain … why even write that?’ And then it started … ‘Ah I guess it is obvious … skin colour …’ And then it continued … ‘Ah, a black player succeeds and …’ The comments descended into a racial war of words. Somewhere in between were the rugby followers’ opinions, with those arguing why Kolisi should start and captain the Springboks and others saying pick the team first and then the captain, and questioning whether Kolisi was…

Senior aides to Queen Elizabeth II barred the hiring of “coloured immigrants or foreigners” in office roles at Buckingham Palace until at least the late 1960s, a report said yesterday. The Queen and Britain’s royal household also negotiated an exemption from 1970s-era laws on race and sex discrimination that still exist today, The Guardian reported. Citing historical papers it unearthed at the National Archives, the newspaper said that in 1968, the Queen’s chief financial manager told government officials of the hiring policy towards ethnic minorities. “It was not, in fact, the practice to appoint coloured immigrants or foreigners” to clerical and other office posts, one document quoted the royal courtier as having stated. “Coloured applicants” were considered only for “ordinary domestic posts”, it added. It is unclear when the policy…

LONDON: David Beckham has taken a 10% stake in Lunaz, a UK-based car restoration and electrification firm, as the former England soccer captain builds on diverse investments in companies related to e-sports, cannabis and now automobiles. “I was drawn to the company through their work restoring some of the most be autiful classic cars through upcycling and electrification,” Beckham, 46, said. He will join Lunaz’s founders and the Barclay, Reuben and Dellal families as a shareholder. Lunaz re-engineers and electrifies classic cars made by Rolls-Royce, Jaguar and Range Rover and Bentley. | Reuters…

Accra: Nine people died in a gold mine collapse in northern Ghana this week, police said yesterday. Accidents in small-scale gold-mining are common in the West African nation and President Nana Akufo-Addo vowed a crackdown to curb its environmental damage. The latest incident in the remote mining area of Gbane, Talensi district, in the Upper East region near the border with Burkina Faso happened late on Monday during a downpour, police said. A witness said the mine caved in after rain water flooded the pit. “There are about two or more different pits underground with only one tunnel connecting as passage to them,” he said. | AFP…

LONDON: Britain’s Heathrow Airport will use sustainable jet fuel for the first time as part of a test ahead of a Group of Seven (G7) rich nations summit in the country next week. The fuel, produced by Finland’s Neste and supplied by oil trader Vitol, is made entirely of renewable and sustainable waste such as cooking oil and animal fat, the airport and companies said in a joint statement yesterday. It cuts greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared with regular aviation fuel, they added. Delivery of the green fuel began yesterday and it will be incorporated into the airport’s main fuel supply. | Reuters…

KAIZER Chiefs hat-trick hero Lebogang Manyama admits he had a gut feeling that their top eight fate would be decided on the final day of the season when they clash with TS Galaxy at the Mbombela Stadium tomorrow (3pm kick-off). After a turbulent outing in domestic football, Chiefs are on course to finish in the top eight. They are ninth on the standings with 33 points, three behind their next opponents Galaxy who occupy the eighth spot. Chiefs’ top eight aspirations looked dead and buried a fortnight ago after they lost to Black Leopards who were subsequently relegated. The shock result was followed by the dismissal of coach Gavin Hunt who was in charge of the team for the past nine months. With their fate out of…

SOUTH Africa’s Lloyd Harris missed out on a career-defining match with Spanish tennis legend and king of clay Rafael Nadal after he was defeated by Britain’s Cameron Norrie in a second-round French Open clash at Roland Garros yesterday. The Brit No 2, Norrie won 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 and will advance to the third round. The projected opponent is Nadal, who will play Frenchman Richard Gasquet in a second-round clash. Harris looked comfortable at the start when he raced through the first two games behind his lethal weapon, the serve. Three aces in his two opening service games unsettled Norrie, who dropped service in the third game. Norrie was unable to overcome the setback and lost the first set 6-4 after 35 minutes. Somehow Harris was unable to…

CASTER Semenya is set to make a last-ditch bid for Olympic qualification at the African Athletics Championships in Nigeria at the end of the month. Two-time 800m Olympic gold medallist Semenya is attempting to make it to the Tokyo Games in the 5 000m event. She is currently barred from running distances between 400m and the mile by World Athletics regulations for female athletes with naturally occurring high testosterone levels. Semenya tried to breach the required time of 15 minutes and 10 seconds in a special meeting in Durban last Friday, but due to a strong wind, she was unable to qualify – although she posted a new personal best of 15:32.15. But there’s still hope for the 30-year-old to make it to Japan. According to Athletics South…