Índice para 2021-08-27 em Cape Times

Group’s half -year profit surges 160% to R25.32.m surpassing its record Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za SIBANYE-STILLWATER yesterday declared a R8.54 billion interim dividend for the six months to the end of June after another record financial performance on the back of bumper precious metal prices. Sibanye follows in the footsteps of other mining companies which have reported record profits this year, buoyed by the commodity super-cycle on rising global demand following intermittent lockdowns last year. Platinum group metals (PGM) prices rose to an average R53 629 per ounce in the six-month period compared with R33 375 per ounce in the interim period last year. The world’s largest precious metals producer said that during the period it had seen a sustained recovery in production from the Covid-19 disruptions last…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za BLUE LABEL Telecoms (BLT), which lifted core headline earnings from continuing operations 16 percent to 81.50 cents a share in the year to May 31, was looking forward to another strong performance in the 2022 financial year, the group’s management said yesterday. BLT also said that its associate, Cell C, had turned in a taxed profit from a massive loss previously, and that the amount due for its recapitalisation – the quantum of which was not yet disclosed – had been secured. On August 2, 2017, Blue Label, through subsidiary The Prepaid Company, acquired 45 percent of Cell C for R5.5 billion. As at May 2019, the group’s investment in Cell C was impaired to nil, where it remained as at May 31…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za ANIMAL activists in Knysna have expressed outrage over a tender on the municipality’s website, which they say calls for a hunter to euthanise two alpha baboons that have been raiding in the Huntershome/Pezula residential area. But the municipality said yesterday that it had not killed any baboons, and permission to euthanise the “problem-causing” animals would be requested from CapeNature. To date, no application had been made, it added. Animal activists called for the community to force the municipality to reassess the situation, saying the killing or shooting of the male baboons was not only cruel, but unnecessary. Stephen Langlands, of the Knysna Municipality, said they had had meetings with residents and CapeNature to try to find a solution to the problem. “We have put out two RFQ’s…

Siyabonga Mkhwanazi siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za DEPUTY President David Mabuza has warned that the racial tensions in KwaZulu-Natal that saw a number of people killed were a blow to the country and efforts to reconcile its people. He said it was not the time to point fingers, but to work to end racism and other forms of discrimination. Mabuza, who was answering questions in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) yesterday, said efforts by Police Minister Bheki Cele and KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala to foster unity in the province were welcomed. He said as the government, they must avoid finger pointing. The government was investigating what happened in Phoenix, and a report would be able to determine the cause of the racial tension and killings. He said all role-players must come forward to…

Okuhle Hlati and Ntombi Nkosi AS the ANC continues to be at loggerheads with its employees over yet another delay in paying salaries, another worker has hauled the ruling party’s parliamentary caucus to the CCMA to challenge her dismissal. At the centre of the dispute are allegations of patriarchy and misogyny within the ANC parliamentary caucus. The worker was allegedly recently slapped with a letter, which cited that she was being dismissed “based on (her) written and expressed incompatibility with the culture of the organisation”. But the provincial Young Communist League of SA (YCLSA), which expressed dismay, said it was “deeply disturbed” by the conduct of the ANC parliamentary caucus, in the wake of a pandemic, with a soaring youth unemployment rate among young black women in the country. “The…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za SANDF troops deployed under Operation Prosper in KwaZulu-Natal have finally been paid meal allowances. The troops were deployed in July in response to the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, with the SANDF earlier this week confirming that there were “challenges regarding the provision of ration packs, and meal allowance payments”. In a letter to Defence Minister Thandi Modise on Tuesday, the SA National Defence Union (Sandu) said it was inundated with complaints from members, specifically from units deployed in the northern regions of KZN, that troops were fed one meal per day, and on some days did not receive any rations/food. They were also not being paid the meal allowances provided for in an Army Order. Sandu confirmed yesterday that meal allowances had been paid. “Sandu is…

Zubeida Jaffer Beauty of the Heart, The Life and Times of Charlotte Mannya Maxeke Number10Publishers WHEN Charlotte crossed the choppy seas from America back to Cape Town in 1901, her homeland was in the steely grip of the third year of the Anglo-Boer War. Some historians described it as the first civil war, because of the involvement of so many different layers of people. Others referred to it as the first full-blown white-on-white war. In the public imagination, it was remembered largely as a war between two colonial powers and this was how the story was told for nearly a century. School textbooks affirmed this version of history and depending on where you lived in South Africa, museums either reinforced the suffering or victory of one of the two…

Global warming necessitates urgent move to electric vehicles requiring lithium RARE earth elements (REEs) are the key to the industries of the future. Without them countries will lose their competitive industrial advantage, which is why the price of REEs have been rocketing and will continue to do so in the years ahead. It used to be that the great powers set their sights on oil as a strategic resource, which drove their foreign policy priorities, but oil is fast being eclipsed by the list of 17 critical elements in the periodic table, which are essential to a nation’s economy and national security. Rare earth elements are not actually rare and can be found around the world, but they are limited in volume, which makes a secure supply into the future…

Kabul: Two explosions struck near the main gate of Kabul airport yesterday, causing multiple casualties in what the US military labelled a “complex attack” that took place as countries raced to complete evacuations from Afghanistan. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said there were “a number” of US and civilian casualties in the bombings, which came just hours after western officials said they had intelligence that suicide bombings were planned against the airport. “We can confirm that the explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US and civilian casualties,” Kirby said in a tweeted statement. “We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate,” he said. The Baron Hotel,…

NEW YORK: A lawyer for R Kelly on Wednesday tried to undercut claims by a woman accusing the R&B singer of sexual abuse, by showing letters she wrote to family members in which she accused her parents of selling her out. Attorney Deveraux Cannick asked the woman, witness Jane, to read letters in which she said her parents had suggested she lie to Kelly about her age, and that they tried to benefit financially from her relationship with him. In a letter to her brother, Jane said her mother would “nag” her to take photos and videos to blackmail him.…

The pro-democracy group that organises Hong Kong’s annual June 4 rally to commemorate those who died in the bloody Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989 is being investigated by national security police on suspicion of collusion with foreign forces. Police sent a letter to the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China requesting information about its membership, finances and activities by September 7, according to a copy the group sent to reporters. Similar letters were sent to several individuals and associations that are members of the alliance. Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The letters accused the alliance of being “an agent of foreign forces”. Failure to provide the information by the deadline could result in a HK$100 000 (about R191 000) fine…

SEOUL: The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has lodged a protest with the Japanese Embassy in Seoul over Tokyo’s plan to discharge radioactive water from the disabled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean, the Yonhap news agency reported yesterday, citing the ministry. Earlier this week, the plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), unveiled plans to dig about a kilometre offshore tunnel that will be used to dump treated radioactive water farther into the ocean. Tepco needs the approval from the national nuclear regulator to begin the work.…

WYNONA LOUW wynona.louw@inl.co.za WESTERN Province coach John Dobson has made five changes to the pack for their crucial Currie Cup clash with the Sharks in Durban tomorrow (7pm kickoff). A win is non-negotiable in their final regular-season game for Province in order to qualify for the semi-finals, something that is perhaps a big ask given the average season they have had. Dobson’s men have won just five of their 11 games and are currently in the bottom half of the standings in fifth spot. Only the Free State Cheetahs and the hugely-disappointing Lions - both out of the running - are below them in sixth and seventh respectively. More than just results, it’s been the Cape side’s play that has left much to be desired at times. A win should…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za FINANCIALLY-constrained consumers will be slightly relieved from paying higher prices for goods as producer prices eased in July, largely on the deceleration in fuel prices. Data by Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday showed that the annual headline producer price inflation (PPI) for final manufactured goods was 7.1 percent in July from a year ago. This July producer inflation print eased from a 7.7 percent rise from a month earlier, and was slightly above market forecasts of 7 percent. Though producer prices slowed from a 5-year high in June, the July reading was the third biggest annual rise in headline PPI this year, and the third highest since February 2016. PPI for May and June recorded two consecutive highest jumps of 7.4 and 7.7…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za ONELOGIX Group, the niche logistics provider, said signs of recovery from the damaging effects of the Covid-19-induced economic environment only became evident well into the year to May 31. “The impact of Covid-19 should not be underestimated. The impacts included the knock-on effect of international component shortages in vehicle and truck production, with the latter affecting OneLogix TruckLogix and OneLogix VDS in particular,” chief executive Ian Lourens said yesterday. More conservative stock holdings by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) had resulted in lower storage revenue of about R36 million, most of which was experienced in the second half of the financial year. Of current trading conditions he said “the vehicle market is tough” but operations were sound on the agricultural product and equipment side, and in liquid…

From page 1 what is happening in the research and development unit of the caucus. ANC acting national caucus spokesperson Nomfanelo Kota did not respond to questions by deadline, while ANC head of communications in the Western Cape Sifiso Mtsweni said they were not the correct structure to respond to these allegations. The party continues to be in a tense stand-off with its employees, who are currently on strike after the organisation failed to pay them on time – again. The staff downed tools yesterday and vowed to remain on strike until their demands were met. They were expected to brief the media on the latest developments over bargaining issues and a way ahead today. ANC staff representative committee chairperson Mvusi Mdala said workers at all of its offices,…

Baldwin Ndaba baldwin.ndaba@inl.co.za THE ANC is racing against time to select an equal number of election candidates to those of the DA and EFF following its failure on Monday to provide the Electoral Commission (IEC) with full details of all its candidates on time. Now, an aggrieved ANC is set to file an urgent application in the Electoral Court today to force the IEC to allow more than 10 000 of its members to contest the upcoming local government elections on October 27. In a surprise turn of events, ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte admitted the party failed to register all its candidates on time, in compliance with the IEC registration deadline of 9pm on Monday this week. The ANC’s application in the Electoral Court today confirms the IEC’s announcement…

Odwa Mkentane odwa.mkentane@inl.co.za EX-CONVICT Vincent Mafu was serving his four-year jail sentence for robbery when his childhood dream of starting a dance club was reignited – a wish he would make a reality after finishing his sentence. The 28-year-old Masiphumele resident’s road to reintegration was marred by confusion, loneliness, and he felt like an outcast in society. Mafu opened a dance club in 2017 called Pantsula For Life, which now has six students between the ages of 12 and 17. The dance club hosts street shows on weekends to showcase their development. “I suffered a lot because I had nothing, and as you know, it is hard to be employed when you have a criminal record. “I had to adjust myself to this new life. While I was still unemployed…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za THE fight against cable theft has yet to be won, with a resident saying he was shocked to witness paving lifted across the bridge along Christian Barnard Street in the CBD, with cables stolen and broken wires still sticking out of the ground. The City said it had received at least 512 complaints over the past year, with more than R15.5 million spent on repairing and replacing infrastructure damaged by vandalism, theft and illegal connections between July 2020 and March 2021. Cable theft impacts on manufacturing, traffic congestion, production down time and loss of life. Thomas Geh said he walked along the bridge en route to collect his car. “Wherever there was a lamppost, a cable had been cut off. It is a very busy road and…

The Detour – I was born for the deep end Balakudu, Raru (R185) My father was at his business, selling beef at a small scale as my mother was giving birth to me at Madisi mission hospital and her mother by her side. My father was informed about my birth an hour later and he rushed on foot to the hospital, a 20 minutes walking distance where he was told that his firstborn, me, was having breathing problems which had occurred a few minutes before he entered the hospital. My difficulty in breathing was considered a small matter, but persisted for a year. My parents visited hospitals weekly, meeting doctors to help the little Namon rise above his problem. My problem gave my parents a hard time, especially considering that…

The golden girl of South Africa’s Tokyo Paralympic challenge, Anruné Weyers, has sent a chilling message to anti-vaxxers. “I wouldn’t be in Tokyo had it not been for the vaccination,” she declared. “Get vaccinated, South Africans.” Weyers, who accepted the Johnson & Johnson vaccination as part of Team South Africa’s squad in May this year, tested positive for Covid-19 a month later, on June 13. She insists had she not been vaccinated, there is no way she’d be competing in Tokyo in the next fortnight. The 28-year-old Weyers is the favourite to win gold in the T47 class over 400m, having won silver at Rio in 2016. Weyers, in an extensive interview with veteran South African sports journalist Gary Lemke, spoke of her struggles during Covid-19 and her fears of…

Rights group Amnesty International yesterday called on 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar to do more to investigate worker deaths, alleging that a string of labourer fatalities had gone unexplained. As next year’s tournament approaches, Qatar has repeatedly come under the spotlight over worker welfare issues, including the death rate, prompting protests from European national sides including Germany. In February, the Gulf state fiercely denied reports in Britain’s Guardian newspaper of excessive worker fatalities, insisting the figure was unreliable but refusing to publish the actual number. As well as promises that infrastructure will be ready for the tournament, Qatar has repeatedly given assurances on its human and labour rights record. International organisations frequently criticise the gas-rich nation over the treatment of its hundreds of thousands of foreign workers, mostly from Africa…

WINDHOEK: Namibian President Hage Geingob yesterday called on his countryfolk to remain a resilient people in the midst of a challenging Covid-19 pandemic when they celebrate the country’s Heroes’ Day. “Not only is this day significant in the context of the struggle for Namibian independence, but it also represents a pivotal moment in the struggle for the liberation of the entire southern African region,” he said. Geingob said the country would honour fallen heroes during the liberation struggle and all modern-day heroes, including those who have held the frontline in the war against Covid-19. “I speak of our courageous health care workers, law enforcement agencies, and public officials, who since the onset of the coronavirus, have risked their lives daily on the frontlines of this deadly pandemic. Namibia salutes your…

Prague: German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier paid tribute yesterday to Czechoslovak paratroopers who assassinated senior Nazi official Reinhard Heydrich in 1942. By laying a wreath at a Prague church and visiting a crypt in which the paratroopers died after a gunfight with the Nazis, Steinmeier became the first German leader to recognise their sacrifice. Like his predecessor Joachim Gauck, Steinmeier also recalled two Czech villages razed to the ground by the Nazis in retaliation for the killing of Heydrich by the paratroopers trained in Britain.…

Edinburgh: A Scottish court yesterday dropped the extradition case of a Catalan separatist politician wanted by Spain for “sedition”, saying it did not have jurisdiction. Clara Ponsati, 64, is one of three Catalan members of European Parliament wanted by Spain on allegations of sedition over their role in the failed Catalan independence bid of 2017. The extradition case of the former Catalan education minister was being heard in Scotland where she previously lived and taught at the University of St Andrews. She now lives in Belgium. The extradition hearing heard Sheriff Nigel Ross say Ponsati had indicated she will not move back to Scotland.…

A fatigued Rory McIlroy says it takes extra effort to get going in the final days of the US PGA season, but he’ll be rested and ready for September’s Ryder Cup. The 32-year-old from Northern Ireland is grinding through the penultimate event of the 2020-21 campaign at this week’s BMW Championship at Caves Valley in suburban Baltimore, Maryland. But after playing at the Open Championship and the Tokyo Olympics last month and last week’s US PGA playoff opener at Liberty National, 16th-ranked McIlroy is feeling weary. “I’ve played more than I probably should have and feel like it’s just sort of all caught up with me,” McIlroy said Wednesday. “I feel like a lot of guys feel right now, a little jaded, a little tired. End of the season, there’s…

Lisa Isaacs lisa.isaacs@inl.co.za THE bright object seen crossing the sky from the northern parts of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana on Tuesday evening, has been confirmed to be rocket debris. Previously thought to be a meteor or bolide, the object was in fact the re-entry debris of the upper stage of the Long March 2C / YZ-1S launch vehicle. South African Astronomical Observatory Science Engagement Astronomer Dr Daniel Cunnama said the debris was a result of the re-entry of the upper stage of the Chinese rocket. “At 2.30pm the upper stage performed a de-orbit burn targeting re-entry over the Indian Ocean. This failed and the upper stage remained in orbit for about four hours before coming down over Southern Africa. “These days launches are quite regular, but generally, these re-entries…

From page 1 The National Prosecuting Authority in the Western Cape and the SANDF did not respond to requests for comment yesterday. The SA National Defence Union (Sandu), meanwhile, said the matter was not brought to its attention but it condemned all criminal activities and exploitation. Union spokesperson Hanli Meyer said they hoped for swift justice. “The union condemns all criminal activity and exploitation. “The union will warn its members close to retirement to not engage in any retirement/service benefit schemes offered to them unless they first take it up with our legal division. “The law must take its course,” Meyer said.…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za “I’D RATHER be a free man in my grave than live as a puppet,” says Western Cape High Court Judge President John Hlophe. He broke his silence for the first time after the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) recommended that he be impeached for gross misconduct. While his lawyer Barnabas Xulu, said they had not yet received the report, he responded to a media enquiry yesterday with a video clip in which Judge Hlophe said: “I think the enemy works as follows: They try to co-opt you. If they succeed, they will use you. You become a shining example because at that point you are just their spokesman. I’d rather be a free man in my grave than live as a puppet. So you become a…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za EIGHTEEN to 34-year-olds have dominated the vaccine uptake since becoming eligible to be inoculated, and has resulted in the province recording a record number of 53 290 vaccinations on August 20, according to health officials. This came to light during the latest Covid-19 briefing for the province yesterday. “Between August 20 and 25, a total of 88 646 individuals between the ages of 18 and 34 received a Covid-19 vaccine,” head of the provincial health department Dr Keith Cloete said. By Wednesday, 1 837 310 vaccines had been administered in the province. Meanwhile, there are currently 42 780 active infectious cases in the Western Cape, with 3 487 Covid-19 patients in hospitals. “While case numbers have flattened, there is not yet a clear decrease in case numbers.…

Reviewer: Julian Richfield BECOMING A DOCTOR Hloni Bookholane Loot.co.za (R219) TAFELBERG HLONI Bookholane is a medical doctor having graduated from the University of Cape Town in 2018. His new book is Becoming a Doctor, but its title does not quite allude to just how diverse and extraordinary its canvas is. My interest in the book was initially piqued by the fact that my son trod the same UCT halls as Bookholane, albeit not at the same time. The book delivered so much more than I anticipated and I’m so glad I read it. Yes, one learns much about the journey from first year medicine to graduation but soon into the book, one realises Dr Bookholane is possessed not only of the “right stuff” necessary for his chosen profession, but a…

| Orielle Berry Listen to Your Footsteps Reflections and Essays Kojo Baffoe Loot.co.za (R215) MacMillan I’D NEVER heard of Kojo Baffoe before (my loss) and what a pleasure it is to read his sensitively written memoir, which is as much a tribute to his father as a journey of exploration. Of Ghanaian/German heritage, raised in Lesotho and currently based in Johannesburg, Baffoe says about himself: “I consider myself the proverbial slashie, a professional ‘jack of all trades.’ “Over the years, I have worn many hats including entrepreneur, writer, facilitator, content strategist, magazine editor, radio talk show host, project manager, events manager and speaker. At heart, I am a storyteller.” In this collection of essays, thoughts and poems, he offers reflections on his life experiences to date and of this,…

THE Springboks arrive in Australia today to resume their participation in the Rugby Championship against New Zealand, Australia and Argentina, and we wish Siya Kolisi’s men luck as they endeavour to defend the title they won in 2019, which proved to be a precursor to winning the World Cup that year. Last year, the Rugby Championship could not be played in its entirety because South Africa was on lockdown and the Boks’ rivals contested a Tri-Nations instead, but at last the stars have aligned for our team to travel and play their first overseas matches since that epic final in Japan two years ago. And last week it seemed that the Championship would be called off because of spiralling Covid-19 cases in New Zealand and Australia, sparking speculation that it…

As the world scrambles to inoculate people against Covid-19, one store owner in Malaysia is finding his paper vaccines have become popular prayer offering items during a religious festival to honour the dead. The Hungry Ghost festival, celebrated by Buddhists and Taoists across South-east Asia, centres on a belief that the spirits of the dead return to Earth during the seventh month of the Chinese Lunar calendar. During this time, people leave out food items for the dead and burn incense and intricate offerings made of paper resembling things the deceased may have wanted. This year, a box set of a syringe and two vaccine vials made of paper are among the fastest-selling items for the festival at Raymond Shieh Siow Leong’s religious goods store in the southern city of…

Turkish engagement in Africa is expanding rapidly, extending beyond economic outreach to encompass business, aid, diplomacy, culture and military support. The rapid growing Turkish presence on the continent has been primary conceived by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s president, who has sought to remodel Turkey as an “Afro-Eurasian state”; a model for the Islamic world and an alternative to the West, which, in his mind, has surrendered its moral authority. What began with economic outreach, experts say, has progressed into a complex Africa policy encompassing business, aid, diplomacy, culture and military support. Today, Turkish fingerprints are all over Africa, from the Kigali Arena in Rwanda, East Africa’s biggest stadium, built by a Turkish construction firm, to an Olympic swimming pool in Coastal Senegal, a colossal mosque in Djibouti, Turkish military hardware…

AUCKLAND: Former Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi blamed New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for his party’s recent election loss, which had led to a 15-week constitutional crisis in the country. Malielegaoi claimed in the interview to TV1 that Ardern’s government was “heavily involved” in a bid to install Mata’afa as Samoa’s new prime minister because she was “female”. “I am starting to get suspicious,” he said. “Maybe New Zealand is behind all of this,” the former prime minister said, according to a translation by the Samoa Observer.…

SYDNEY: Australia’s police said yesterday it intercepted a cocaine syndicate in the city of Sydney and charged eight people, including a teenager, over their alleged role in supplying drugs. “Police have today charged five men, two women and a teenage boy over their alleged involvement in supplying cocaine and other drugs across Sydney,” police said. The police started investigating the supply of cocaine and prescription drugs by a syndicate operating across Sydney back in April of this year, the statement read. The adults are expected to appear at Bankstown Local Court today.…

ZAAHIER ADAMS zaahier.adams@inl.co.za MAMELODI Sundowns are sweating over the fitness of influential trio Mosa Lebusa, Themba Zwane and Khuliso Mudau ahead of tomorrow’s MTN8 first leg semi-final away to Golden Arrows. Right-back Mudau suffered a hamstring injury in the mid-week Premiership draw against Chippa United, while captain Lebusa and playmaker Zwane did not even make the trip to Gqeberha. Lebusa suffered a quad strain last Friday in the season opener against AmaZulu, while Zwane is struggling with a knee injury. “They must still be assessed by our medical department and then closer to the match we’ll be able to make a decision,” co-coach Rhulani Mokwena said. Mokwena claimed Sundowns were still recovering from a disruptive pre-season, with players having to isolate on various occasions due to Covid-19. “At this…