Índice para 2023-12-01 em Cape Times

PARLIAMENT decided yesterday to vote on the removal of Judges John Hlophe and Nkola Motata, who were found guilty of gross misconduct, before the end of January next year. The decision was taken by the National Assembly programme after the justice and correctional services portfolio committee adopted the report recommending the removal of the judges. The portfolio committee had last week resolved to recommend that the judges be impeached after they were afforded an opportunity to make written representations. The gross misconduct charges against Hlophe emanate from a complaint to the Judicial Services Commission by the Constitutional Court justices that he had improperly attempted to influence the apex court’s impending judgment in the Zuma-Thint matters. The charge against Motata related to a court case when he instructed his lawyer to…

Costs ballooned while the project portrays poor workmanship, say opposition parties THE Buffalo City Municipality (BCM) now wants the contractors of the R87-million East London beachfront project to submit a report detailing the full scope of works, budget and implementation plan after unveiling the controversial project this week. The project faced significant backlash as the public expressed outrage over what was seen as exorbitant costs. Completed three years after construction began, the East London Beach Front Court Crescent, now renamed the Leighandre “Baby Lee” Jegels Recreational Park, was opened to the public by Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane together with BCM mayor, Princess Faku. The project was implemented by the Buffalo City Metropolitan Development Agency (BCMDA), as one of the metro’s flagship projects, aimed at giving the city a…

OLD computers, problems with accessing emails and poor network coverage have emerged as some of the reasons officials at the Master’s Office were unable to respond to queries from their clients. Now, the Department of Justice has procured a new set of computers for the officials and wants to upgrade the network at the offices throughout the country. This became possible after the Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) recently turned to the justice and correctional services portfolio committee, asking it to intervene in the long-standing service delivery failures in the Master’s Office.It cited lack of leadership, lack of service delivery, correspondence being unanswered, email correspondence not being utilised, phones not being answered and officials not reached. The LSSA has since tabled a 10-point plan to the department stressing the…

A Daughter’s Promise Judy Summers Loot.co.za (R198) Wellbeck At 14, Annie Shaw is fed-up with being babied by her big sister, Delilah. It’s true that Delilah has been the closest thing to a mother that Annie or any of her siblings have ever known, but she’s secretive about the past and won't let her little sister out of her sight. When Annie’s old friend Clara visits with tales of the good money that can be made at the cotton mill outside Ormskirk, she sees her chance at adventure and runs away. The work is gruelling, and Annie is shocked to witness children as young as 8 working long days around dangerous machinery. Soon Annie finds herself caring for three young orphans, now a makeshift mom herself. As hard times hit…

Gaslight Femi Kayode Loot.co.za (R430) Bloomsbury Bishop Jeremiah Dawodu, pastor of a Nigerian megachurch, has been arrested and charged with the murder of his wife, Folasade, the “first lady” of the church. The arrest was public, humiliating and sensational, sending shockwaves through Lagos but throughout it all, Bishop Dawodu maintains his innocence. Philip Taiwo, an acclaimed investigative psychologist, is asked by his sister, a member of the church's congregation, to clear the pastor’s name. With no actual body, it looks to be a simple case and despite Philip’s dislike of organised religion, he agrees to take it on as a favour to his sister. Then the first lady’s body is found in a nearby lake just as Philip’s beloved family come under attack from someone warning him off the case,…

GLOBALLY, people with disabilities are still under-represented in the workplace. The situation is the same in South Africa. While we have well-defined laws, we are still failing to ensure that employment targets for people with disabilities are met in both the private and public sectors. As we celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities this Sunday, we should also emphasise the need for disability inclusive employment that has received growing attention in response to this under-representation. Amid the guidelines and policies – such as the Technical Assistance Guidelines on the employment of people with disabilities, which includes specific guidelines on reasonable accommodation and fair recruitment procedures – companies still struggle to recruit and employ people with disabilities to meet the set employment equity targets. In addition to systemic exclusion…

Incoming COP28 president Sultan al-Jaber opened this year’s UN climate summit yesterday by urging countries and fossil fuel companies to work together to meet global climate goals. Governments are preparing for marathon negotiations on whether to agree, for the first time, to phase out the world’s use of CO²-emitting coal, oil and gas, the main source of warming emissions. Jaber, who is also the CEO of the United Arab Emirates’ national oil company, Adnoc, aimed to strike a conciliatory tone following months of criticism over his appointment at the head of COP28. In his opening remarks, Jaber acknowledged that there were “strong views about the idea of including language on fossil fuels and renewables in the negotiated text… I ask you to work together”. “It is essential that no issue…

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk said during an interview that he does not care if key US corporations stop advertising on his social media platform X in light of his endorsement of an anti-Semitic statement recently. “If somebody’s gonna try to blackmail me with advertising, blackmail me with money, go f*** yourself,” Musk said at the New York Times DealBook Summit this week. Musk has come under fire for endorsing a social media post that claimed Jewish communities were pushing hatred against white people, saying it was “the actual truth”. Film companies Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, Paramount, and Lionsgate suspended advertising on Musk’s social network X due to his comments. A similar decision was made by Walt Disney, IBM and Apple. Musk said the public would determine whether an advertising boycott…

Hanoi: Trafficking victims held against their will in Myanmar and forced to work in scamming operations were being forced to sell their organs if they didn’t meet quotas, a charity in Vietnam said yesterday. At least 120 000 people – citizens of China, Vietnam and other countries – were being held in compounds in the country, the UN human rights office said. They were told to target and groom their compatriots, before cajoling them into ploughing money into fake investment platforms. The trafficking victims have been caught up in fighting that has raged across Myanmar’s northern Shan province. | AFP…

LONDON: Piers Morgan has reportedly left the royal family considering legal action by naming the two senior royals at the centre of a Prince Archie race storm. The TV host, 58, decided to use his show this week to name the two royals who writer Omid Scobie, 41, claimed had “concerns” over the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son’s skin colour in the Dutch version of his book Endgame. Its publisher withdrew the copies. Royal experts said Morgan’s move was the “wrong thing to do”. | Bang Showbiz…

Cape Town City head coach Eric Tinkler has ruled his side out of the Premiership title race, despite their rich recent vein of form. The Citizens climbed to the top of the league standings with their sixth successive league victory over the weekend, only to be displaced by Mamelodi Sundowns on Wednesday. The Brazilians returned to domestic action for the first time in more than a month to comfortably dispatch neighbours SuperSport United and return to the summit. Sundowns have played four fewer games than second-placed City. Speaking to the media after City’s last outing in Durban, Tinkler refused to be drawn into title contention discussions. The 53-year-old mentor continues to fine-tune his side to be one of the most difficult teams to face on the domestic front, but he…

The PAST YEAR has been challenging for most South Africans. It seems like the price of everything has been going up every month, from rising food prices to transport costs, electricity, and everything else. There is some good news on the horizon for many South Africans, though, because December is not only holiday time, it’s also stokvel season – which means millions of people will be getting the money back that they have been saving in their stokvel all year. However, it’s important to remember that it’s not just stokvel members who are eagerly awaiting their annual savings payouts. Criminals also know that many people will have more money in the coming months, and they are always looking for ways to steal it. If you are a stokvel leader or…

ESKOM has defended its decision to appoint a brand design agency for the development of a brand and corporate identity (CI) for its new subsidiaries. This after it came under fire by Professor Onkgopotse JJ Tabane, who, via his attorneys, sent Eskom a lawyer’s letter criticising a R15 million tender for the design of a new company logo and development of a corporate identity for each of the three newly unbundled independent subsidiary companies, namely, Generation, Transmission and Distribution. “Professor Tabane and the public are alarmed at the fact that Eskom has issued a multimillion-rand tender in circumstances where (a) it has reported a staggering loss of R24 billion for the period 2022/23; (b) earlier this year it received a bailout of R254bn from the national government; and (c) more…

The Cabinet led by President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken away its own legitimacy with its “inaction” to cut all ties with Israel and a day would come when the South African public would remind them of this failure. This is the view of renowned anti-apartheid icon and academic Dr Allan Boesak following Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni’s remarks that the Cabinet was not in a hurry to discuss the closure of the Israeli embassy. “The Cabinet has not decided to close the embassy of Israel, and you will recall that, according to the South African system we have a separation of powers – a segregation of powers between the judiciary, executives and Parliament. Parliament can give guidance in terms of those matters that are in the purview of the…

THE Information Regulator has given credit reporting agencies Experian and TransUnion ten days to provide reports of their investigations which led them to conclude that reported data breaches were not new security compromises. The Regulator this week noted that it was aware of recent allegations regarding security compromises that had allegedly been suffered by Experian and TransUnion. “The Regulator has received communication from the two credit reporting agencies regarding the alleged security compromises. The recent allegations have been made when the Regulator is finalising its findings on the security compromise incident suffered by TransUnion in 2022.” The Regulator said it could not yet address the specifics of the recent allegations of new security compromises personal information held by Experian and TransUnion until the two credit reporting agencies had fulfilled their…

The Struggle of A Black Child: Ghetto Narratives Enock Shishenge, Innocent Madzhoni and Phuti Seanego Ndzhaka Publishers This is a collection of very impactful biographies that offers powerful, concise narratives. The Struggle of a Black Child comprises compelling stories of everyday lives of individuals from marginalised backgrounds, highlighting the transformative power of quality public education. From ordinary lives emerge extraordinary stories, showcasing the resilience that turns pain into beauty. A black child struggled during apartheid. A black child struggles under democratic arrangement. This book makes you understand what a black child goes through on daily basis in the townships and how hard he works to make his way up. Life in the township is an everyday struggle. The beauty of this book lies in how each story is beautifully weaved.…

For all the issues negatively affecting South Africa, one thing we can do is organise major sports events. Our track record speaks for itself – the 1995 Rugby World Cup, 1996 Africa Cup of Nations, the 2003 Cricket World Cup and of course the biggest one of them all, the 2010 Fifa World Cup, were all a celebration of sporting excellence and a vibrant country showing off its true colours. There was also the exciting Netball World Cup in Cape Town this year. The 2023 Rugby World Cup should have been added to that list after a World Rugby committee chose South Africa’s bid as the best, but then some shenanigans behind closed doors before the final vote resulted in France “stealing” the tournament. That is why the Springboks’…

The US Democratic Party has no Plan B if President Joe Biden decided for any reason to halt his 2024 re-election campaign, and a sudden need to replace him as its standard-bearer would spark a messy intraparty battle. Despite weak poll numbers and questions, including from some Democrats, about his age, Biden has stuck to his plan to seek a second term after clearing the field of serious Democratic primary challengers when he announced in April that he was running again. Even if more Democratic candidates were to jump in now, the path forward would be unclear as deadlines to get on the primary ballot in critical states such as Nevada, South Carolina and Georgia have already passed. Biden loyalists, citing his record in office, argue that the party does…

KADUNA: Gunmen kidnapped at least eight people in an attack on the Dan Honu community in Nigeria’s northern Kaduna state, residents said yesterday. Kidnapping for ransom is rife in north-west Nigeria where armed gangs have targeted schools, villages and travellers, making it unsafe to travel by road or to farm in some areas. Police are investigating the incident, which occurred late on Tuesday in the state’s Chikum local government area. Attacks in northern Nigeria are part of widespread insecurity in the country that include a 14-year Islamist insurgency in the north-east and clashes between farmers and herders in the central region. | Reuters…

NEW YORK: An Indian government official directed an unsuccessful plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist on US soil, the US Justice Department said this week, in announcing charges against a man accused of orchestrating the attempted murder. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan said Nikhil Gupta, 52, worked with the Indian government employee, whose responsibilities included security and intelligence, on the plot to assassinate the New York City resident who advocated a sovereign Sikh state in northern India.Yester-day, India expressed concern about one of its government officials being linked to the plot, from which it dissociated itself, as being against government policy. | Reuters…

WASHINGTON: Henry Kissinger, a US diplomatic powerhouse whose roles as a national security adviser and secretary of state under two presidents left an indelible mark on US foreign policy and earned him a controversial Nobel Peace Prize, died on Wednesday at age 100 at his home in Connecticut, according to his consulting firm, Kissinger Associates Inc. It said he would be interred at a private family service, to be followed at a later date by a public memorial service in New York City. Kissinger had still been active late in life, attending meetings in the White House, publishing a book on leadership styles, and testifying before a Senate committee about the nuclear threat posed by North Korea. In July he made a surprise visit to Beijing to meet Chinese President…

MINISTER in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said yesterday the Cabinet had approved the long-awaited draft Marriage Amendment Bill for introduction to Parliament. Briefing the media at the post Cabinet-briefing, Ntshavheni said the bill gave effect to the White Paper on Marriages in South Africa, which was approved by Cabinet in March last year. “The bill sets South Africa on a path of a single Marriage Act that also respects religious and traditional belief systems. “The bill seeks to ensure that all marriages are concluded in accordance with the principles of equality, non-discrimination and human dignity. This is as provided for in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996,” she said. Ntshavheni also said the bill outlined measures to prevent unions such as child marriages and those done…

SUSPENDED Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, Judge Nomonde Mngqibisa-Thusi will face the Judicial Conduct Tribunal today for allegedly not delivering judgments on time. Constitutional Court Justice Chris Jafta will act as the tribunal president. Retired Judge Dennis Davis will also be part of the tribunal, while advocate Nasreen Rajab-Budlender SC will be part of the proceedings as a non-judicial member of the tribunal. The hearing follows a complaint lodged earlier by Gauteng High Court Judge President Dunstan Mlambo. The hearing is expected to last until next Thursday. President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this year placed judges Tshifhiwa Maumela and Mngqibisa-Thusi on suspension to allow the Judicial Conduct Tribunal to investigate suspected misconduct regarding alleged excessive delays by the judges in handing down a significant number of judgments. The president has taken this…

A Plettenberg Bay father who allegedly ordered the assassination of his adopted disabled daughter for a R200 000 life policy, has been arrested. Mboneleli Msila made his first appearance in the Plettenberg Bay Magistrate’s Court this week facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder, murder, illegal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of ammunition. His case was postponed to December 6 after he made a request for legal aid to represent him. This comes after the 55-year-old was arrested on Tuesday. According to NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila, in April last year two men, one armed with a gun, forcefully opened the door of Msila’s house in Kwanokuthula. “The accused was asleep in the bedroom of the house. His wife slept at her mother’s house that night,” said Ntabazalila. The…

WITH about 1.1 million students – including first time entry enrolments – anticipated at universities for the 2024 academic year, accommodation shortages have already been identified at institutions. Of the 1.1 million students, about 210 000 will be new and first time entry enrolment in the sector. Universities South Africa (USAf), an umbrella body representing the 26 public universities in the country, tabled a number of accommodation concerns before the portfolio committee on higher education on Wednesday. “There is a need for NSFAS to consider university accommodation and university-leased accommodation first before private accommodation to ensure that public infrastructure is appropriately utilised. There have also been concerns about the capacity of NSFAS to manage student accommodation allocations directly,” said USAf’s CEO Dr Phethiwe Matutu. She said the R45 000…

How to make an Espresso Martini Absolut. Cocktails by Absolut Vodka Hardie Grant R485 The cocktail book is a natural step for Absolut, which has always believed in mixing people, ideas and drinks as a proponent for a world that is more open, free and fun. The at-home mixologist market continues to thrive, boosted by the impact of the rising cost of living on people’s entertainment habits. Despite price hikes, the demand for premium ingredients remains. With changes in living arrangements, from location to hybrid working policies, consumers are spending more time at home. A collection of 80 delicious contemporary and classic recipes divided into five easy chapters. With a choice of Fuss-free Crowd Pleasers, Cocktails to Impress, Summer Sippers, Holiday Favourites and even Mocktails, there are drinks for everyone.…

WE NEED Earth observations to keep our planet habitable and to drive inclusive and sustainable development. This involves collecting data on the changing status of the environment – both natural and human – using a variety of tools, from buoys in the sea to satellites that scan the Earth from space. Most raw satellite data is freely available, as an open-source resource, but few people can work with raw data. The lack of access to analysis-ready data and technical resources is a disadvantage in Africa. With limited reliable data sources, specialised tools or training opportunities, it is difficult to leverage the potential of Earth observations to address pressing environmental and societal challenges on the continent. This is where Digital Earth Africa (DE Africa) comes in. An organisation that makes…

The Palestinian group Hamas said its militants carried out a shooting in Jerusalem yesterday, killing three people despite agreeing to extend for a day a truce in Gaza and to release at least 10 more Israeli hostages. The threat of a renewed escalation in attacks came as Washington’s top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, met officials in Israel to seek a longer pause in the devastating conflict. The fate of the truce is hanging in the balance once again. A Hamas source said 10 more Israeli hostages would be released from Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, after the warring parties agreed to extend the pause in combat operations until this morning. “All of them are alive,” said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. “Israel…

A massive transfer of wealth is gaining speed as billionaires are increasingly padding their vast fortunes with inheritance rather than entrepreneurship, a study by Swiss banking giant UBS showed yesterday. Over recent decades, the number of billionaires has ballooned, with surging entrepreneurial activity within tech and other areas ushering fresh members into the super-wealthy club. But in its ninth annual report on the world’s billionaires, UBS noted a significant shift in the way such fortunes are being made and expanded. “The heirs to billionaires are gaining prominence,” said the report. “This is a theme we expect to see more of over the next 20 years, as more than 1 000 billionaires pass an estimated $5.2 trillion (R100trln) to their children.” That forecast, UBS said, was based on the estimated accumulated…

LONDON: The president of tech giant Microsoft said there was no probability of super-intelligent artificial intelligence (AI) being created within the next 12 months. Brad Smith’s comments come a year after Microsoft-backed OpenAI released AI chatbot ChatGPT to the public, sparking a flurry of investment and concern that such systems could pose an existential threat to humanity. Recent reports suggested OpenAI founder Sam Altman may have been ousted from the company following a potentially dangerous AI discovery. Smith rejected this. Altman was reappointed after public outcry. Smith said “It’s going to take years, if not decades, but I think the time to focus on safety is now.” | Reuters…

KAMPALA: A Ugandan woman, aged 70, has given birth to twins, her doctor said yesterday, in what the mother hailed as a miracle. Safina Namukwaya’s twins, a boy and a girl, were born on Wednesday at a medical facility in the capital Kampala, where she had received fertility treatment. “This is extraordinary achievement, delivering twins to Africa’s oldest mother at 70 years,” said Dr Edward Tamale Sali, at the Women’s Hospital International and Fertility Centre. Namukwaya said she previously gave birth to a girl in 2020. She said her first husband had died in 1992, leaving her without children, and she met her current partner in 1996. | AFP…

Proteas Women’s coach Hilton Moreeng is not overly concerned about the absence of captain Laura Wolvaardt for the start of the T20 series against Bangladesh. Wolvaardt was confirmed as the permanent Proteas captain this week across all formats after performing the role on a temporary basis in Pakistan and at home against New Zealand a couple of months ago. But Wolvaardt will now be absent for the start of her official captaincy tenure due to her Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) commitments in Australia. Wolvaart’s team, the Adelaide Strikers, have qualified for the final where she will open the batting tomorrow. Moreeng, though, is confident his team will adapt without Wolvaardt, even though the stand-in skipper for Sunday’s opener against Bangladesh at Willowmoore Park in Benoni is yet to be…