Índice para 2023-02-08 em Cape Times

EFFORTS to tackle illegal mining and damage to infrastructure were paying off, President Cyril Ramaphosa said while delivering the keynote address at the Africa Mining Indaba (AMI) at the Cape Town International Convention Centre yesterday. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy previously announced that the mining sector lost around R49 billion in 2019 to illegal mining. “The South African Police Service has established multi-disciplinary Economic Infrastructure Task Teams that are operational in 20 identified hotspots. In the last six months, these teams have conducted around hundreds of operations and made a significant number of arrests,” Ramaphosa said. “Transnet has developed partnerships with the industry and private security to address cable theft and vandalism on the freight rail network through advanced technologies and additional security personnel. As industry, law enforcement…

WITH a budget of about R8 million for the State of the Nation Address (Sona) tomorrow, Parliament said there will be “minimisation of load shedding” during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address. Briefing the media yesterday on the readiness for Sona, Secretary to Parliament, Xolile George, said efforts had been made to deliver live Sona coverage. “Measures will be taken to ensure no load shedding will impact on the delivery of Sona, including precincts central to feeding live coverage of Sona.” He defended the R8 million budget for the Sona. “That takes into account logistics to stage an event of this magnitude and scale. Consistent with the fiscal challenges faced by the country, every attempt is made to minimise costs. Last year, R8 million was budgeted for Sona but only about R5.9…

CAN Newlands Rugby Stadium not be converted into a smaller, covered stadium seating about 1 500 people for concerts, tennis tournaments and suchlike? The Old Good Hope Centre can be sold off to low-cost housing. Existing materials can be reused to save costs. Also, the whole project could incorporate a casino, shops and offices and flats. One would be able to attract the tennis circuit to Cape Town and introduce a whole new tennis culture with foreign sponsors. Better than having the whole area deteriorate with no patronage.…

IMAGINE a South Africa without the ogre of apartheid and its consequences. No Verwoerds. And a Parliament made up of experienced, professional and competent MPs of all hues. See, colour isn’t the criteria and cadre deployment as an enabler of corruption and a contributor to blurred party-state lines is non-existent. This exemplary situation exists in a dream I had in a hospital bed. It’s probably the medicine running through two drips that carried me to a truly rainbow country run by a prime minister in the ’50s called Jannie Smuts. He must’ve impressed me so much that his name and face lodged in the recesses of a young brain. He is a visionary and foresees the future and what the country can become if he didn’t take drastic steps to…

MARKING the 12th consecutive year that Cape Town will host a stopover for the Ocean Race, five International Monohull Open Class Association (IMOCA) yachts will set sail from Cape Town on the longest leg of the race later this month. On February 26, the yachts will set sail from Cape Town to Itajaí, Brazil. This will take the crews down to the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties of the Southern Ocean. Antarctica will be to the right and the fleet will pass all three great southern Capes, the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn non-stop. From Brazil the race takes the crews to Newport, Rhode Island (US), then Aarhus, Denmark, a fly-by via Kiel, in Germany, then a stopover in The Hague, the Netherlands, before a final…

THE Department of Basic Education (DBE) has identified the Western Cape and Gauteng as the provinces experiencing the most pressure from a spike in applications from parents moving their children from independent schools to public schools. According to the department, this is due to financial distress, as parents who previously opted for independent schools, were now returning to public schools due to affordability. The department said other challenges plaguing the two provinces included incomplete application submissions; fraudulent proof of residence; schools in high-pressure areas being over-subscribed; and limited infrastructure and unavailability of land. The DBE briefed the portfolio committee on basic education yesterday about the readiness for the 2023 school academic year. DBE director-general Mathanzima Mweli said: “We have experienced some level of challenges in all nine provinces. However, one…

A massive rescue effort in Türkiye and Syria battled frigid weather in a race against time yesterday to find survivors under buildings flattened by an earthquake that has so far claimed more than 5 000 lives. Tremors that inflicted more suffering on a border area already plagued by conflict left people on the streets burning debris to try to stay warm. Rescuers were working on collapsed apartments with heavy equipment as a worldwide relief effort promised food, search teams and equipment for the disaster zone. “We live on the first floor out of three, we’re too scared to return,” said Imam Caglar, 42, in the Turkish city of Sanliurfa. “Our building is not safe at all. My mother-in-law, father-in-law, and two of my father-in-law’s sons (are trapped),” said Mahmud al-Ali…

A special Nigerian human rights panel has started investigating reports that the army massacred children and ran a secret abortion programme when fighting Islamist insurgents and said it would refer for prosecution those it considered guilty of rights violations. The Nigerian military said the reports were not true and that it would not investigate matter. Anthony Ojukwu, executive secretary of the government-appointed National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), launched the seven-member investigation panel yesterday led by a retired Supreme Court judge in Abuja. Ojukwu said the investigations followed “allegations of gross human rights violations contained in the three-part report published in December on military operations in the north east by Reuters”. The commission has no powers to prosecute human rights violators but can recommend prosecution for offenders. The panel is to…

London: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yesterday reorganised several government departments and appointed a new Conservative Party chairperson following last month’s dismissal of a senior ally over murky tax dealings. Sunak, who last week marked 100 days in 10 Downing Street, announced close confidant Greg Hands had replaced Nadhim Zahawi in the role of party head and cabinet minister without portfolio. The Tory leader fired the wealthy Zahawi after an internal probe into his tax affairs found a “serious breach” of ministerial rules. Sunak created four new government departments ahead of a general election expected next year. The ruling Conservatives are trailing the main opposition Labour party by wide margins, according to polls. It follows several scandals amid the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation as decades-high inflation threatens…

ATHENS: Three people drowned and more than a dozen were believed to be missing in the second migrant shipwreck off Greece this week, authorities said yesterday. The coastguard said 19 people were rescued in an operation that began early yesterday after an inflatable rubber boat was spotted on rocks along the coast of the island of Lesbos, near Türkiye. At least 10 people were taken to hospital, authorities said, some suffering from hypothermia as a cold weather front brought freezing temperatures and snow. Survivors told authorities about 41 people were on board the dinghy that had sailed from the Turkish coast. | Reuters…

MI Cape Town provided evidence in the inaugural SA20 season that sporting contests are never decided on paper. The Newlands-based team were blessed with an abundance of superstars - both South African and international - and a coaching staff that was littered with legends in all departments. And yet they won just three out of their 10 matches that saw them rooted to the basement of the standings. For a team that is blessed with the amount of riches they have at their disposal, it has been an unmitigated disaster of a first season. The only consolation for MI Cape Town is that their parent team, Mumbai Indians, suffered a similar fate in the maiden IPL season before forging a dynasty that has seen them become the most successful side…

WE’VE SEEN CLIMATE activists chaining themselves to the goalposts or taking to the pitch to disrupt major football fixtures in the English Premier League or throwing soup at Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. And the investment industry is not exempt – protesters occupied the New York offices of investment giant Blackrock recently due to its investments in fossil fuels. So, what now? As investment professionals, what can we do? As stewards of the future, as dream protectors can we make environmentally and socially responsible investment palatable? Can we make it easier to promote good governance through the investment decisions we facilitate or make? Can we make environmental, social, and governance (ESG) accessible, and can we at least start somewhere? The fight for climate justice, social development and good governance is an intergenerational,…

THE Mpumalanga High Court turned down an application against an earlier order that the Road Accident Fund (RAF) had to pay from its own pocket the costs associated with two cases. Judge President Francis Legodi, who issued a judgment last month, made several scathing remarks regarding CEO Collins Letsoalo and the board’s running of the RAF, especially after it fired its panel of attorneys. This resulted in the personal costs order against the RAF, which could run into millions. Yesterday, Judge Legodi refused leave to appeal as he concluded that there was no prospect that another court would come to a different finding to that of the full Bench he had headed. He did however amend his earlier order to include the RAF itself in the costs order. In terms…

YOUR Monday edition “Robben Island’s silent party is over” refers. It is good to see that this has been stopped in its tracks. It is interesting that the Robben Island Museum that controls all the events on Robben Island, did not consult with the SA Heritage Resources Agency (Sahra). It is also very important to ensure that the association of former political prisoners approves events of this nature. However, it is noted that Robben Island has to be financially sustainable and that they took an enormous knock because of Covid. The proper tourism of the island is not handled efficiently or sustainably. It would be much more viable if through negotiation with the ex-political prisoners and the Sahra the provincial government could step in to ensure that Robben Island…

THE SA Post Office (Sapo) said while plans are afoot to negotiate with pensioners – former Sapo employees – for a once-off payment from the Post Office in lieu of the subsidy of their pension fund contributions, this was not reneging on the pensioners’ retirement benefits. However, pensioners say they are not willing to negotiate yet, as the benefit has stood them in good stead, especially in their old age. Sapo, which has announced cash flow problems, has confirmed that they are giving pensioners the once-off payment option, as “subsidising the medical aid contributions of pensioners is not financially sustainable”. Sapo spokesperson Johan Kruger said the approach was to address their cash flow predicament. “This is also an attempt to safeguard the pensioners, as Sapo’s situation continues to deteriorate. “On…

THE ANC on the West Coast is calling for the recommendations of a 2020 forensic investigation report into various breaches of municipal policies, including potential nepotism in the appointment of senior officials in the Matzikama Municipality, to be implemented. Among the allegations probed was the appointment of Andrew Koopman into the administrative portfolio of the municipality. Koopman is the son of the current deputy mayor, Amelia Job. The report also looked into possible violations of the municipality’s supply chain and recruitment and appointment policies, and other related employment conditions. The report found the appointment of Koopman to the administrative portfolio in 2018 was unlawful. “Koopman was indicated on the initial shortlisting of applicants as not having the requisite qualification for the post,” read the report. Of the five candidates…

We have a moral duty to consistently report whenever we witness abuse “As a nation, we are abruptly woken up from our slumber when these (killing of women and girls) heinous crimes are committed. We are outraged by the brutality and wonder whether these things are really happening in South Africa. Sadly, we succumb to our slumber again and again, believing that nothing is happening in between. It takes a Karabo Mokoena or Zolile Khumalo or Uyinene Mrwetyana to wake us up.” These were the words of Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Buti Manamela, addressing mourners at the funeral of Uyinene Mrwetyana in East London, Eastern Cape province, on September 7, 2019. Mrwetyana was only 19 and a film and media studies student at UCT when…

Fresh strikes hit trains, schools and refineries in France yesterday over an unpopular pension reform pushed by President Emmanuel Macron, as opponents took to the streets for a day of protests. The third day of union-backed demonstrations since January 19 was set to test momentum for the protest movement which has vowed to block Macron’s bid to raise the retirement age. The head of the hardline CGT union, Philippe Martinez, warned that more “numerous, massive and rolling” strikes were coming if the government did not drop the plan. “If the government keeps on refusing to listen then of course things will have to be ratcheted up,” he said, as the demonstration in Paris got under way. Macron put raising the retirement age and encouraging the French to work more at…

Poverty and the prospect of better- paid work, rather than ideology, are what fuel recruitment to jihadist and other violent groups in Africa, the UN said yesterday. The conclusion casts doubt on conventional wisdom that religious doctrine is the main lure for joining groups like Boko Haram, al-Shabaab and the al-Qaeda-linked Support Group for Islam and Muslims. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) in 2021 interviewed nearly 2 200 people across Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia and Sudan. The interviews included nearly 1 200 former members of extremist groups, of whom nearly 900 had joined voluntarily while the others had been coerced. Of those who had voluntarily joined, a quarter said the prospect of paid work had been their primary motive, UNDP said. Another 22% said they joined…

BAMAKO: Mali seeks to reinforce its economic co-operation with Russia and get preferential access to essential products, the country’s foreign minister Abdoulaye Diop said yesterday before meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. The meeting comes in the wake of a call last week by the UN for an independent investigation into possible war crimes by government forces and Russian private military contractor Wagner Group in Mali. Since 2020, Mali’s ruling military junta has turned to Moscow even as it sparred with neighbours and Western nations over election delays and its decision to work with Russian mercenaries to combat an Islamist insurgency. | Reuters…

Paris: Containing and cleaning up environmental pollution, especially in waterways, is crucial to controlling increasingly bullet-proof superbugs which could kill tens of millions by mid-century, a new UN report said yesterday. Superbugs are estimated to have killed 1.27 million people in 2019, and the World Health Organization says antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top global health threats on the near-term horizon. Up to 10 million deaths could occur every year by 2050 because of AMR, the UN says. The disinfectants, antiseptics and antibiotics that can help microbes become stronger are everywhere, from toothpaste and shampoo to cow’s milk. | AFP…

Erik ten Hag warned his Manchester United stars not to underestimate Leeds in tonight’s Premier League clash after the relegation-threatened club sacked boss Jesse Marsch. The American was dismissed on Monday following a run of seven league games without a win, with Leeds only outside the relegation zone on goal difference. United’s only loss in their past 15 matches in all competitions came against Premier League leaders Arsenal. But before the start of that run Ten Hag's men were beaten by Aston Villa in Unai Emery’s first game in charge. “We have to be aware of that,” Ten Hag said yesterday. “When Jesse Marsch was in the lead, it was clear how they play. Now it's possible they change - it's also possible they don't change. I think we only…

SUPPORT from South African humanitarian organisations continued to stream in for Türkiye and Syria yesterday, as more than 5 200 people were recorded dead while bodies were still being retrieved. Gift of the Givers South Africa’s team left for Türkiye last night, while Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) staff members from the university’s Emergency Medical Sciences Department flew out to assist with search and rescue operations. Yesterday, rescuers were digging people out of the rubble of collapsed buildings in a “race against time”. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency in 10 south eastern provinces. The magnitude 7.8 quake was the deadliest in Türkiye since 1999. Harsh winter weather hampered search efforts and heightened the plight of the homeless. Gift of the Givers project manager,…

We note the letter titled “Heathfield High a shambles, disgrace” in the Cape Times of February 6. We strongly deny the allegations. It is deeply concerning that dishonest claims would be made in the press and that no verification was undertaken at all. This is similar to previous attempts to discredit any positive growth and change at the school. The claim that the school has no timetable is false. Full-time teaching and learning have been under way, according to a timetable, since school began this term. This is in contrast to previous years where the first three weeks of the school year were allegedly allocated to athletics, with no teaching and learning taking place. In fact, the senior management team was brought in earlier this year – for the first…

TWO of South Africa’s biggest mining companies lost their appeal this week against an earlier judgment allowing mineworkers suffering from sick silicosis and/or tuberculosis, to bring a class action against them. Thousands of sick mineworkers and the families of those already dead, won a victory in 2016 when the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, certified their claims against a host of mining companies and some of the so-called parent companies, to constitute a class action. The court also gave permission to the families of those who had died, to sue the mining companies. Mining giants DRDGold Ltd and East Rand Property Mines, however, turned to the Supreme Court of Appeal to overturn the ruling that allowed the class action suits. The issue before the Supreme Court was whether the high…

THE family of slain ANC Overstrand councillor, Simphiwe Silo, has expressed relief at the news that police have arrested two suspects in connection with his murder. They are expected to appear in the Hermanus Magistrate’s Court today on murder charges. Silo, who was the councillor for Ward 5, died early on Monday morning outside his home after he was stabbed in the chest. According to police spokesperson, Joseph Swartbooi, Silo was found dead at about 2.45am. “The body of a 33-year-old man sustained stab wounds to his body. The victim was declared deceased on the scene by the medical personnel. We can confirm that the investigating team arrested two males aged 35 and 40,” said Swartbooi. He said Western Cape detectives were still probing the circumstances leading to the murder.…

OFTEN, when I listen to returned soldiers – men over 50 who have come back to their township homes – they say they have been betrayed and treated badly by their ex-wives or partners. Worse, they believe the GBV narrative is anti-black men. Nobody cares to listen to their trauma and pain. I was at my mother Nomali’s humble home in Diepkloof on Sunday when these uninvited men trickled in. On this patio was where my father, Mbokodo, retired to sit, read and reflect as he watched township life drift by. Most of the time, he would be reading or engaging in critical discourse. “I saw the car and knew you were here,” they say. “So, I came in to catch up.” You don’t make an appointment in the townships.…

US PRESIDENT Joe Biden was to deliver a State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress last night, at a time of record low unemployment, rising wages, and diminishing fears of recession – facts he was likely to trumpet as a sign his economic plans are working in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. But there are pressing economic issues, most notably the need to lift a statutory debt limit that, in the extreme, could cause the US government to stop paying its bills. A still unresolved Federal Reserve fight to control inflation may pose the largest outstanding risk to the Biden economy, over which the White House has little influence. It was Biden’s second such speech as president and the first since the Republican party…

NEW YORK: Salman Rushdie has branded his attacker an “idiot”. The Satanic Verses writer, 75, was onstage at the Chautauqua Institution in Western New York in August last year when 24-year-old Hadi Matar stabbed him 15 times in the torso and neck, and the author said he now suffers PTSD and nightmares. Rushdie is still in recovery at home. “I’ve found it very difficult to write,” he said, adding that he hoped he would again find inspiration. “One of the things about being 75 and having written 21 books is that you know that, if you keep at it, something will come.” | Bang Showbiz…

KARACHI: Pakistani former president Pervez Musharraf, a key US ally in the campaign against al-Qaeda following the September 11, 2001, attacks on the US, was buried in his home town of Karachi yesterday. Musharraf, a former four-star general who seized power after a 1999 military coup, died on Sunday in hospital in Dubai, after suffering a rare organ disease. He was 79. After the 9/11 attacks, Musharraf gave US forces ground and air access into landlocked Afghanistan to chase down al-Qaeda militants. This contradicted Pakistan’s long-standing support for the Taliban, who still controlled Afghanistan until late 2001, and made Musharraf a target for militant groups. | Reuters…

Canberra: Alcohol bans will be reinstated for indigenous communities in central Australia in response to a crime wave. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chief Minister of the Northern Territory (NT) Natasha Fyles said dry zones will be reinstated for indigenous town camps near Alice Springs. It comes less than 12 months after intervention-era alcohol bans in the NT ended in July 2022, making alcohol legal in some areas for the first time in 15 years. As a result, alcohol-fuelled violence soared in Alice Springs. Under the new laws, communities can opt out of the reinstated bans if 60% of residents support the decision and an alcohol management plan is in place. | IANS…