Índice para 2022-12-02 em Cape Times

IN THE 2021/2022 financial year, Ayo Technology Solutions (AYO) contributed almost R95 million to the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) in the form of dividends. AYO, the country’s single largest most transformed ICT investment company, announced its results earlier this week, and despite posting a loss made the decision to pay out dividends. This, of course, has been greeted with some scepticism by the armchair traders who are vocally outspoken on everything AYO. However, if we look beyond the obvious and remove the disparaging external chatter, there are sound reasons for the technology giant to dip into its reserves to bolster its shareholders’ pockets, especially those of the pensioners whose hard-earned money it is, through the GEPF, which is managed by the Public Investment Corporation (PIC). The PIC is…

THE ATM yesterday pushed for a secret ballot to be conducted when the report of the panel of independent experts on Phala Phala is put to a vote at the sitting of the National Assembly, scheduled for Tuesday. However, National Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, said she would decide, when a request was made. This emerged at the meeting of the National Assembly Programme Committee (NAPC) yesterday, when MPs from opposition parties wanted to know what would happen during the proceedings. DA chief whip Siviwe Gwarube asked about the upcoming proceedings, enquiring about the process that was to be followed in handling the report. “Can it be considered like any usual report? Are there going to be declarations or debates? Are we to vote on it like we do after the…

The Section 89 panel that ruled there were grounds to impeach President Cyril Ramaphosa over Phala Phala Farmgate, found that the evidence given by Ramaphosa was “hearsay”. This is after he claimed to “not have personal knowledge of the theft”, but was instead “told of the theft”. Retired Justice Sandile Ngcobo found that, in response to one of the charges relating to the stolen currency at Phala Phala, Ramaphosa relied on Sylvester Ndlovu’s evidence. “On this source of the foreign currency, we only have the statement by the president, which is based on what he was told by Mr Ndlovu, who didn’t confirm this information. It is true the president's version is supported by the acknowledgement of receipt. “Admittedly, on its face, the acknowledgement of receipt states that Mr Sylvester…

Medical experts have said they were seeing indications of a spike in Covid-19 infections and warned the public against complacency. This comes as the South African Medical Research Council said it observed an increase in Covid-19 traces in several wastewater treatment plants in the Western Cape in October. Solidarity Doctors Network advisory board member Dr Angelique Coetzee urged the public to test if they experienced any Covid-19 symptoms. “We are seeing patients coming in with a normal cold, typical sore throat and running nose, a bit of tiredness. “If those patients are checked there’s a 50% chance that could be Covid. It is the same with flu. “We saw a lot of patients coming in the past few weeks with Covid symptoms. It is important that people do Covid testing…

THE Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has upheld an appeal by Local Government MEC Anton Bredell against the Matzikama Municipality, relating to allegations of abuse of power in the municipality. The municipality had approached the Western Cape High Court on an urgent basis after Bredell appointed two people to investigate a raft of allegations relating to abuses of power, including the theft of municipal money. “In September 2019, eight complaints concerning misconduct in the administration of the municipality were brought to the attention of the MEC. “They included the alleged irregular appointment of certain individuals without having the requisite qualifications, the irregular appointment of two family members of the mayor, the alleged theft of municipal funds in the amount of R 320 000 (the theft allegation) and irregular payments made…

A Killer Christmas at Honeychurch Hall Hannah Dennison Loot.co.za (R208) Constable “Just the thing to chase the blues away” – MC Beaton FOLLOWING the butler’s death and the cook’s retirement, the ever-gullible Lady Lavinia replaces them with a power couple who are determined to thrust the crumbling estate into the 21st century. The Dowager Countess reluctantly agrees to hold a big-ticket Christmas gala and silent auction with a mystery celebrity flying in from Monaco as the guest of honour. Needless to say the newcomers make a few enemies in their quest to change the status quo and when one body is discovered in the Victorian stumpery, and a second in the ha-ha, it seems that their high-flying past is catching up with them. Meanwhile, Kat is dealing with the theft…

Adam Kethro Pleasures of the Harbour TRACEY McDonald Publishers Adam Kethro’s edgy novel is just what I needed at the end of a rather bland year – an exciting read packed with action. Here you will read all about a young man called Adam Askew. Now while Adam may be lacking in some areas he’s certainly armed with chutzpah, a great dollop of guts and a huge sense of determination – assets that add up to give him the confidence he needs to set up a shipping company. But when the daily grind of one cargo after another, ton by ton, gets to him he leaves Durban and heads for the big city lights, the glitz, the glamour – and the dangers – of the City of Gold in the…

A series loss in England and an embarrassing exit from the T20 World Cup, not to mention that qualification for next year’s 50-over World Cup is still very much in jeopardy – and all this has created a dark cloud over the Proteas men’s cricket team. As they headed to Australia last night for a three-match Test series, that sense of doom and gloom around the national team is understandable – and yet … A look at the ICC World Test Championship table shows that South Africa occupy second place behind Australia and are still very much on course to play in the final of the ICC Test Championship. That suggests that not everything is as bad as it is sometimes perceived to be with the Proteas. South Africa have…

Fighting with heavy weapons erupted between government forces and M23 insurgents in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo yesterday, shaking a five-day-old truce, security sources and rebels said. The ceasefire in North Kivu province at the weekend came after a summit between the DRC and its neighbour, Rwanda. It was to have been followed by a rebel pull-out from captured territory, a withdrawal that has yet to take place. The sources said fighting resumed yesterday in Kirima, about 10km from the town of Kibirizi. “Fighting resumed this morning between the FARDC and the M23,” said Paul Lutibahwa, head of civil society groups for the Bambo region. The FARDC stands for the armed forces of the DRC. The rebels have crossed the bridge, heading for Kibirizi ... there’s panic,” he said, an…

US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron were celebrating more than 200 years of US French relations yesterday but simmering in the background is a dispute over new US subsidies that has riled Europe. Biden, 80, is hosting Macron, 44, at the first state visit since the US leader took office in early 2021. Macron is expected to raise French and European concerns about subsidies in Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, a $430 billion (R7.5 trillion) bill that offers massive subsidies for US-made products and is aimed at addressing the climate crisis. European leaders say the legislative package signed by Biden in August is unfair to non-US companies and would be a serious blow to their economies as Europe deals with the fallout from Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine.…

Paris: The BQ.1.1 subvariant of Covid-19 is taking precedence over the BA.5 strain in France, a top health expert said. Brigitte Autran, the president of the Committee for Monitoring and Anticipating Health Risks (Covars), said that the latest Covid-19 resurgence was the “beginning of a wave”, even though the increase in the number of cases was not significant yet. BA.5, the subvariant of the original Omicron subvariant that has been prevalent in France, “has already been replaced by the BQ.1.1 subvariant, which is the baby of BA.5”, she said. “This variant is more contagious,” she noted. She called on people to get booster shots. | IANS…

New Delhi: All types of alcoholic beverages, including wine, increase cancer risk but people have low awareness about it and some even perceive alcohol as having health benefits, a new study has revealed. Seven cancer types – including breast, mouth and colon – have been linked to alcohol consumption. The US National Cancer Institute found that awareness of the alcohol-cancer link was highest for liquor, with 31.2% of adults being aware of the risk, followed by beer (24.9%) and wine (20.3%). Ten percent of adults said wine decreased cancer risk, 2.2% said beer did and 1.7% said liquor did. | IANS…

PRESSURE was mounting on President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday to step down or resign after the Section 89 panel report on the Phala Phala farm housebreaking and theft scandal made adverse findings against him. This came as Ramaphosa cancelled his planned appearance before the national Council of Provinces (NCOP) to answer oral questions yesterday, citing the need to study the panel’s report. Opposition parties represented in Parliament said the findings of the panel’s report were enough for the embattled president to resign. UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said there was further need for Parliament to interrogate the matter given the panel’s recommendations. “The balance of probabilities is sufficient; nothing more needs to be proved. “President Cyril Ramaphosa would be well advised to leave his office without any further prompting,” Holomisa said. He…

UNDER-FIRE President Cyril Ramaphosa pulled out at the 11th hour from a much-anticipated address to the nation in what was expected to be his resignation last night, to continue consulting with various “interested parties,” including the ANC and its alliance partners. He is under unprecedented pressure to resign or provide more details on why the Section 89 independent panel found that there was prima facie evidence of serious misconduct against him over the foreign currency that was held at his property. In a day of high drama, Ramaphosa was due to hold an evening “family meeting” but this was postponed, with his spokesperson Vincent Magwenya saying the president was still consulting. An ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting that was scheduled for last night has been postponed to today. Ramaphosa…

In a continuation of the legal battle over indigenous heritage and environmental protection, Tauriq Jenkins, high commissioner of the Goringhaicona Khoi Khoin Indigenous Traditional Council (GKKITC), has lodged an application for leave to appeal a recent judgment that stripped him of his authority to oppose the River Club development in the courts on behalf of the GKKITC. The legal battle saw the Western Cape High Court set aside an earlier judgment by Deputy Judge President Patricia Goliath, who had in March interdicted construction at the River Club site. The initial interdict came after the Observatory Civic Association (OCA) and the GKKITC approached the court to stop the R4.6 billion development from proceeding, citing irreparable harm and inadequate meaningful consultation. The full bench of the High Court then revoked Judge Goliath’s…

THE DA has remained unshaken by the brewing legal action that former provincial legislature Speaker, Masizole Mnqasela has threatened to take to the Western Cape High Court. It was made known on Monday that the party terminated Mnqasela’s DA membership, and gave him until Tuesday morning to reapply. Mnqasela reportedly responded through a letter demanding the withdrawal of the cessation of his membership. However, this was rejected by the party following its Federal Executive (FedEx) meeting. In a letter from Mnqasela’s attorney, Frank Raymond, sent to the DA, it was stated that they would seek relief if the DA failed to retract. DA federal council chairperson, Helen Zille, said as far as the party was concerned, Mnqasela was no longer a DA member. “As such he cannot hold any positions…

Richard E Grant Loot.co.za (R149) Gallery Books UK Swaziland-born Richard E Grant is perhaps best known for his role in Withnail & I and Oscar nomination for Can You Ever Forgive Me?. “Lockdown turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because my wife and I spent nine months, after 38 years together, with each other every single minute of the day and night, and then … had eight months together for the last months of her life. And she said to me just before she died: ‘You’re going to be all right – try to find a pocketful of happiness in every single day’.” In his new memoir, A Pocketful of Happiness, Grant tells of their time together and how he is now trying to fill his pockets with…

The only question is how long his foes will allow him to remain president “President Cyril Ramaphosa must immediately step aside,” is Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma’s radio interview reaction after reading the section 89 independent panel’s report. It found evidence that Ramaphosa may have committed serious misconduct and violations of the law in that he had millions of dollars in US currency stashed at his game farm, and that he had started an off-the-books investigation after the theft of the money. The panel’s investigation has been so long in the making – after Speaker of Parliament Nosiviwe Mapisa- Nqakula extended its 30-day deadline to November 30 – that the rumour mill had gone into overdrive over what it might say. In the end, the report still makes for grim reading…

New Delhi: India opened its G20 presidency yesterday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling for an end to war, implicitly rebuking ally Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. New Delhi and Moscow have ties dating back to the Cold War, and Russia remains India’s biggest arms supplier. “Today, we do not need to fight for our survival, our era need not be one of war. Indeed, it must not be one!” Modi said, adding that India would “seek to depoliticise the global supply of food, fertilisers and medical products, so that geo-political tensions do not lead to humanitarian crises”. “Those whose needs are the greatest must always be our first concern,” he said. | IANS…

China is set to announce an easing of its Covid-19 quarantine protocols in the coming days and a reduction in mass testing, sources said, a marked shift in policy after anger over the world’s toughest curbs fuelled widespread protests. Cases nationwide remain near record highs but the changes come as some cities have been lifting their lockdowns in recent days, and a top official said the ability of the virus to cause disease was weakening. The protests are the biggest show of civil disobedience in China for years. The measures due to be unveiled include a reduction in the use of mass testing and regular nucleic acid tests as well as moves to allow positive cases and close contacts to isolate at home under certain conditions, the sources familiar with…

Ghana should take immediate steps to end the shackling of people with real or perceived mental health conditions, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said yesterday, a practice that continues despite legislation against it. The global rights body said that 10 years after the adoption of a Mental Health Act establishing that people with psychosocial disabilities should not be subjected to inhumane treatment, the government was not doing enough to ensure implementation. Researchers said they found more than 60 people in the eastern and central regions chained or caged, including some children. The Ministry of Health was unhappy about the practice. HRW said it also “witnessed serious human rights abuses, including lack of adequate food” and “repeated sexual violence” in the camps. | AFP…

MADRID: Bomb disposal experts defused a letter bomb at the US Embassy in Madrid yesterday, the sixth such device sent to high-profile targets, including the prime minister and the Ukrainian ambassador in Madrid. All of the packages were reportedly sent from within Spain, the deputy interior minister said. One of the devices had detonated, injuring a security officer at the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid, three others were detonated by security forces and one had been kept intact for investigative purposes. Spain’s High Court has opened an investigation. | Reuters…

AUSTRALIA’S series loss to the Proteas in 2018 and all the drama associated with it, may have been a chastening experience for the ‘Baggy Green’ brigade, but Dean Elgar doesn’t expect it to make the current Australian team a ‘soft touch’ in their three-match Test series. The ‘Sandpaper affair’, which caused ructions across the sport, led Australian cricket to undertake serious introspection. From pre-match handshakes to ‘elite honesty,’ to Pat Cummins’s toothy grin, Australia has sought to sell itself as a less boorish team. However Elgar isn’t buying a new friendly approach from the Australians. “Purely because we are playing there, I think it will still be pretty feisty,” Elgar said. The first Test starts on December 17 at the Gabba, with the series then heading to Melbourne for the…

MOROCCO powered into the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time in 36 years yesterday with a 2-1 victory over eliminated Canada. Goals from Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En-Nesyri ensured the North Africans finished top of Group F ahead of 2018 World Cup runners-up Croatia. In another Group F match played at the same time, Romelu Lukaku missed a string of late chances as Belgium crashed out of the World Cup in the group stage after a 0-0 draw with Croatia which sent the 2018 runners-up into the knockout phase. Croatia had a penalty award controversially cancelled by VAR early in a largely uneventful first half. Morocco, who last reached the knockout stages of the World Cup in 1986, will face the runners-up from Group E in…

AFRICAN Equity Empowerment Investments’ (AEEI) headline loss per share (Heps) widened 68.36% to 37.16 cents from 22.07c a share for the year to August 31 as the weakening global economic environment and resulting disruptions impacted the operations and valuations of the group’s diversified investments. Net asset value per share fell 9.9% to 993.32c per share from 1 102.54c per share. The board did not declare a dividend. The group’s directors said revenue fell slightly by 0.24% due to a challenging global economic environment characterised by increasing pressure on prices, resulting in lower margins and this, coupled with accounting adjustments on investments, led to an overall loss of R330 million. The basic loss per share increased to 45.78c from a loss of 26.48c a share in 2021, mainly…

The ANC’s electoral committee chairperson, Kgalema Motlanthe, has announced the top 200 nominations for the party’s national executive committee (NEC), which consists of 80 members. Among the nominees are Mduduzi Manana, who was convicted of assault, and suspended ANC member Andile Lungisa, who was released on parole after being jailed for assault. Other nominees for the NEC include former KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala, Ronald Lamola, Malusi Gigaba, David Makhura, Stella Ndabeni Abrahams, Fikile Mbalula, Thoko Didiza and David Masondo, among many others. “This list is a work-in-progress because the vetting process is ongoing and therefore it may change. “If any one of those names does not meet criteria as spelled out in the rules including the constitution of the ANC, those names will with no doubt be disqualified,” said Motlanthe.…

BLIKKIESDORP, the “hell hole” also known as “Tin Can Town”, is home to many victims of gender-based violence. One such victim is 39-year-old Monique Clark. Clark is a mother of five children, aged between six and 19. Just a year ago, she escaped the grips of her gangster ex-husband following over a decade of abuse. The Symphony Way Temporary Relocation Area (TRA) in the City of Cape Town Municipality, Blikkiesdorp, which is filled with social ills, was established in 2007 for people awaiting low-cost housing. It was supposed to be a temporary solution but still exists 15 years later. There are at least 1 400 one-roomed, 18 square metre zinc structures, built tightly squeezed against each other with no backyard, no proper roads or toilets, housing families anywhere from five…

A GRANDMOTHER has become the latest victim in what is alleged to be retaliation shootings among gangs in Manenberg. Janup Peterson, 69, was shot and wounded yesterday while her grandson, Nashief Peterson, was shot and killed just after 6am. Police spokesperson, Wesley Twigg, confirmed the latest casualties came after several shootings in the area this week, including a crossfire in front of the Manenberg police station on Wednesday. “Yesterday (Thursday) at 6.30am, a 33-year-old man was fatally wounded while his 69-year-old mother was wounded in her back. She was taken to hospital for medical treatment. The motive for the shooting incidents are suspected to be gang-related,” said Twigg. According to Twigg, shootings escalated after the gang shootout in front of the police station on Wednesday afternoon at 2pm along Duinefontein…

Suspect Scott Turow Loot.co.za (R229) Swift Press For as long as Lucia Gomez has been the police chief in the city of Highland Isle, near Kindle County, she has known that any woman in law enforcement must walk a precarious line between authority and camaraderie to gain respect. She has maintained a spotless reputation – until now. Three male police officers have accused her of soliciting sex in exchange for promotions to higher ranks. With few people left who she can trust, Chief Gomez turns to an old friend, Rik Dudek, to act as her attorney in the federal grand jury investigation, insisting to Rik that the accusations against her are part of an ugly smear campaign designed to destroy her career and empower her enemies – both outside the…

The Whittiers Danielle Steel Loot.co.za (R280) Macmillan The Whittiers is a heart-warming story about the importance of family, home and being true to yourself, from one of the world’s favourite authors, Danielle Steel. Connie and Preston Whittier raised their six children in a once-grand Manhattan mansion. The children are now adults, but the house remains the heart of the family and somewhere they all love to return to, particularly in times of stress. But on Connie and Peter’s annual skiing holiday in Europe, an avalanche hits their resort, resulting in tragedy. In every family, each member has their own personal struggles. The Whittiers are no exception. Lyle is successful but has an unhappy marriage. Gloria is a genius on Wall Street but lonely. Twins Caroline and Charlie work all hours…

Is Ramaphosa subversive? Many suspect Phala Phala to be a scheme to “finance votes” at the upcoming ANC December conference. Load shedding, to “facilitate opportunities” to privatise Eskom, for example, in his brother-in-law Patrice Motsepe’s hands. What makes you think the Covid -19 lockdown was legit? Is it because the mainstream media told you so? The same media that said Ramaphosa was too rich to be corrupt. Well, the lockdown was not legit, far from it! I have been locked in a three-year legal saga, Maarman versus Ramaphosa, asking Ramaphosa to “Show Us the Virus”. Before I explain what I mean, I am sure you can guess the outcome of the court battles against Ramaphosa, the mafia-like “Teflon Don”. The courts never asked Ramaphosa to “Show Us the Virus”; similarly…

San Francisco: Tech billionaire Elon Musk said yesterday one of his companies would in six months be able to implant a device into a human brain that would allow communication with a computer. The interface, produced by Musk’s start-up Neuralink, would allow the user to communicate directly with computers through their thoughts, he said. “We’ve been working hard to be ready for our first human (implant), and obviously we want to be extremely careful and certain that it will work well before putting a device in a human.” In 2019, Musk vowed that Neuralink would be able to perform its first tests on humans in 2020. The prototypes, which are the size of a coin, have been implanted in the skulls of monkeys. At the Neuralink presentation, the company showed…

Natural and man-made catastrophes have caused $268 billion (about R4.7 trillion) of economic losses so far in 2022, chiefly driven by Hurricane Ian and other extreme weather disasters, reinsurance giant Swiss Re estimated yesterday. Insured losses covered $122bn –less than half – of the total economic losses to date this year, said the Zurich-based group, which acts as an insurer for insurers. “Hurricane Ian and other extreme weather events such as the winter storms in Europe, flooding in Australia and South Africa as well as hailstorms in France and in the US resulted in an estimated $115bn of natural catastrophe insured losses this year to date,” Swiss Re said. There were $7bn of insured losses from man-made disasters. It is the second consecutive year in which total insured losses from…

Geneva: The severe inflationary crisis, combined with a global slowdown in economic growth, is causing a striking fall in real monthly wages in many countries, reducing the purchasing power of the middle classes and hitting low-income households hard, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said. In its Global Wage Report 2022-2023, the ILO said that global monthly wages fell in real terms to minus 0.9% in the first half of 2022, the first time this century that real global wage growth has been negative. Real wages in the G20 countries in the first half of 2022 are estimated to have declined to minus 2.2%, whereas real wages in emerging G20 countries grew by 0.8%, 2.6% less than in 2019. | IANS…

SANA’A: Two months after Yemen’s truce expired, fighting largely remains on hold but a series of attacks by Huthi rebels could have serious repercussions for a country crippled by war. At least three drone strikes at ports on Yemen’s southern coast have disrupted oil exports, the main source of income for the Arab world’s poorest country and its Saudi-backed government. The strikes launched by the Iran-backed rebels since late October caused no casualties but stopped some tankers from docking at the government-controlled harbours of Qena and Al-Dabah. They followed the failure to extend a UN-brokered truce that was in place for six months until October 2. | AFP…

ENGLAND have gathered momentum at the World Cup and are happy to bring some succour to their countrymen suffering the winter cold, soaring costs and industrial strikes, midfielder Declan Rice said yesterday. “It makes me happy seeing the videos of them celebrating us scoring. We’re going to try to keep going, keep pushing, keep trying to lift everyone,” Rice said at the England training camp in Qatar two days before their last-16 clash with Senegal. “We’ve really pulled the country together ... It’s obviously really close to Christmas now so hopefully we can deliver them the best Christmas present.” Gareth Southgate’s team gave an enormous lift to the nation last year, after the gloom of the Covid-19 pandemic, in their run to the European championship final. Now they are one…