Índice para 2025-09-01 em Cape Times

Sasol, a leader in the energy and chemicals sectors, has announced an important expansion in its Mozambique operations and locally, extending the timeline for South Africa's transition to liquid natural gas (LNG). The company's President and CEO, Simon Baloyi, revealed in an integrated report released on Friday that the gas production plateau has now been extended to the end of its 2028 financial year with additional investments, offering a crucial reprieve to South Africa's industrial gas users who had been anxious about potential shortages in the country. Previously, concerns had arisen when Sasol indicated that its gas reserves in Mozambique would be depleted by 2028. However, through its innovative solutions, the company is now poised to offer a bridging strategy that incorporates methane-rich gas, which will be redirected from their…

Alibaba Group Holding reported a surge in revenue from China’s AI boom, helping assuage investors nervous about the fallout from a worsening battle with Meituan and JD.com Inc. in internet commerce. China’s e-commerce leader reported a triple-digit percentage gain in AI-related product revenue as well as a better-than-anticipated 26% jump in sales from the cloud division - the business most closely tied to the post-DeepSeek artificial intelligence boom. Its shares gained more than 6% in pre-market US trading, after investors looked past a disappointing 2% rise in revenue and 3% decline in operating income to 35 billion yuan ($4.9 billion). Alibaba’s AI wing - considered among the frontrunners in Chinese artificial intelligence development - helped gloss over concerns about an intense price war with JD and Meituan in the giant…

The All Share index on the JSE on Friday ended lower, but for the week in line with global equity prices given the uncertainty if the US will still lower its’ Federal Bank rate in September. This after the dovish speech the previous Friday by Federal Reserve chairperson, Jeremy Powell, at the annual US Economic Policy Symposium in Jackson Hole, where he has indicated that there is now a greater possibility for US interest rates to be cut at Fed’s next meeting in September. The more profound US inflation measure the Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) price index that was released last week showed an increase of 2.7% in July and is now much higher than the 2.0% target of the US Federal Reserve. Global share markets now expects…

MAS, the JSE-listed owner of retail and commercial properties in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), increased net rental income by 6.6% on a like-for-like basis, driven by a good operational performance and strong rental and service charge collections. The company generated a total shareholders’ return of 12% for the year to June 30, the results showed Friday. Distributable earnings came to 9.53 eurocents a share, 27.7% higher than in 2025. Of this, 4.44 eurocents a share related to the second half, within the previous guidance range of 4.28 to 4.70 eurocents a share for the six months to June 30, 2025. The company said Friday there was a significant contribution from the Development Joint Venture (DJV) in the year to June 30, which is the property development joint venture between…

Kids these days aren’t just doing homework, they’re drowning in it. I see it with my own daughter every afternoon, and honestly, it makes you wonder when teachers expect kids to just relax and, well, be kids. As parents, we all try to help when they’re stuck. But one mom admits that, after seeing her children’s frustration, she often just gives them the answers, sometimes even doing their school projects for them. Influencer mom Lottie Weaver, who has more than two million TikTok followers, recently shared a video confessing how far she goes to help her children. Predicting some backlash from teachers, she opens her clip with: “If you’re my kids’ school teacher, just keep swiping.” She explains: “After the kids have been at school all day, done their work,…

Academics at the Harvard Law School are expected to apply this week to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, to be added as friends of the court in the ongoing legal battle to release three elephants from the Johannesburg Zoo. Animal Law Reform South Africa, the EMS Foundation and Khoi Chief Stephen Fritz have asked the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, to order their confinement to be unconstitutional. The court case has meanwhile gained international attention from Harvard academics, who want to join the matter to highlight the elephants’ complex needs and the broader ethical implications. The applicants in the main application argue that South African law recognises that animals are sentient beings, capable of suffering and experiencing pain. According to the groups and Fritz, animals have intrinsic value as individuals and…

Anti-apartheid activist and United Independent Movement (UIM) leader, Neil de Beer has been remembered as a passionate advocate for strengthening South Africa’s democracy through reform, accountability, and people-centred leadership. De Beer died on Saturday at the age of 56 after a long battle with cancer. He served as the President and Leader of the UIM since its registration as a political party in August 2021. He founded the UIM in 2020 as a civil society movement to educate South Africans on their right to elect independent candidates. De Beer was also involved in bringing about the Multi-Party Charter for South Africa. In August 2023, he signed a pre-election agreement as part of this Charter, committing to prioritise the needs of South Africans. He was previously a member of the ANC…

A shared identity number with a man who had meanwhile died caused a correctional services officer a multitude of problems - not only was his salary stopped because he was presumed dead, but he also felt that he was perceived as being a fraud. Madimetja Johannes Ledwaba as a result instituted a damages claim against Home Affairs for defamation. He told the Limpopo High Court, sitting in Polokwane, that the department spread the word about his “death” to other entities, such as to the National Treasury and to his work. The department, on the other hand, said it has a legal duty to report a death to the other authorities. Ledwaba, who works for correctional services in Polokwane, was not paid his monthly salary in June 2010. Upon enquiry, it…

Nyanga community members marched to Parliament to demand justice for 25-year-old Zenande Tshazibane who was raped and murdered allegedly by her ex-boyfriend. Tshazibane’s body was found on June 22, 2025. Residents called for urgent government intervention in the ongoing crisis of gender-based violence (GBV). Tshazibane’s friend, Emihle Magadlela outlined the events leading to her death. “On June 17 when we went to Philippi Magistrate’s Court to file a protection order against the man... the police didn’t attend to her matter immediately. On June 22, he went to her house, asked one of our friends to accompany him, but the friend never reached the destination as she was scared.” It is believed he waited for her to return before she was raped and murdered and locked inside her house. “She was…

WHEN Professor Brenda Morrow broke new ground by becoming the first woman and the first non-physician to lead major international paediatric critical care societies, she achieved more than a personal milestone. Like the growing number of pioneering women in science, she unlocked doors and created opportunities for many South African girls and women who want to use science and innovation to shape the future. Her journey as a clinician-scientist in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, where she dedicated her career to improving child health in resource-limited settings through interdisciplinary research on severe paediatric conditions, reminds us that one’s background or gender must never be a barrier to making a significant contribution to the advancement of our country. Her work saves lives, advances knowledge and uplifts communities. This…

The Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) has assured stakeholders that the Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) was making steady progress despite earlier setbacks. Mpho Brown, Public Relations Manager of LHDA, last week outlined the project's foundational objectives, which initiated with Phase I to address water demands in Gauteng, while simultaneously enhancing Lesotho’s energy independence. “LHWP phase 1 came about due to South Africa needing water for mining operations that were ramping up in Gauteng, and Lesotho had a need for energy sufficiency and there was a need for electricity in Lesotho, and there was a need for the Government to generate revenue,” Brown said. “It was decided that both Lesotho and South Africa would share the cost of LHWP. It was decided that Lesotho would receive…

as construction advances at Polihali Dam The chief resident engineer of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) has given assurances to government ministers in South Africa and Lesotho that good progress was being made on the construction of Polihali Dam. This was revealed in a media tour to check on the progress of the Phase II of the water project hosted by the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority in Lesotho last week. Ivano Vanzaghi, the chief resident engineer who is the supervising consultant for the construction of the Polihali Dam under Matla a Metsi Joint Venture, said that the Polihali Dam was being constructed just downstream to get the benefit of the two catchment areas Khubelu River and Orange River. “We have the advanced infrastructure construction we originally planned for 1…

Cosatu presented its submission in support of the Tobacco and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Health this week. This is a critical Bill to reduce the number of lives lost every year to lung cancer and tuberculosis, as well as to safeguard the legal tobacco industry, its value chain and jobs from the explosion of the illicit tobacco trade. Cosatu has championed this long overdue Bill as a critical tool in the campaign to reduce smoking and the exposure of non-smokers and young people to smoking. The Federation has engaged extensively on this progressive Bill at Nedlac and now in Parliament. Whilst we are disappointed it took so many years to reach Parliament, we are pleased it is finally there. It will take some…

Recent platinum group metal price appreciation is offering some relief to the PGM sector, but it is still not yet at a level to support sustainable mining across the industry, and certainly not the much-needed development of new operations, according to Northam Platinum CEO Paul Dunne. “We are in the envious position of controlling high-quality, well-capitalised and long-life assets,” he wrote at the release of Northam Platinum’s results for the year to June 30, on Friday. Dunne said the PGM market had tightened, and their view remained that the factors underlying this were fundamental and unlikely to correct in the medium term. The company declared a R2 a share final dividend for the year, which Dunne said reflected their confidence in the future of the group. The final dividend brought…

With prelims underway and final Matric exams approaching, many Grade 12 learners feel the pressure building. For them, these exams are more than just another test; they mark the start of life after high school. The stress is real, and for many teens, it’s not only about grades but also about worries of letting their families down or not securing their future. That’s where parents come in. “Parental support during exam season can make all the difference,” says Refilwe Maakamedi, the assistant principal: social services and counsellor at SPARK Schools. “It’s less about perfection and more about presence. When parents walk alongside their children with empathy and perspective, the pressure feels lighter.” So, how can parents step in without stepping on toes? Here are underrated, research-backed hacks to help scholars…

The South African Cricket Team's tour to India in November will mark history and celebrate the 34th anniversary of South Africa’s readmission to international cricket. The Proteas are set to play all three formats in India in November and December after the BCCI confirmed the fixtures for the tour. The tour will begin with a two-match Test series from November 14, while three ODI games will be followed by five T20Is. The first Test will be played in Delhi, with the final game in the longest format set to take place in Guwahati from November 22. India and the Proteas will then play three ODIs in Ranchi (November 30), Raipur (December 3) and Visakhapatnam (December 6). The tour will conclude with five T20Is in Cuttack (December 9), Mullanpur (December 11),…

AN ALLEGED Fancy Boys gang member has been sentenced to 27 years for the murder of Mitchells Plain teen Ruwayda van Rheede in 2019. Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile praised the efforts of Sergeant Bradley Schuurman of the Anti-Gang Unit and the prosecution team who contributed to the hefty sentence handed down to Matthew Yu on Friday in the Mitchells Plain Regional Court. Reports suggested that on February 20, 2019, 18-year-old van Rheede was with friends when gang members fired numerous gunshots at occupants of an address in Lentegeur. She was transported to a nearby hospital where she died of her injuries. Yu was convicted on murder, attempted murder, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition charges and sentenced to 27 years behind bars. According to the Daily Voice,…

Ramaphosa projects justice while administering inequality PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has perfected the art of dignified double-speak. With calm delivery and a statesman’s demeanour, he presents himself abroad as a champion of justice and equality, while at home presiding over policies that deepen the very injustices he decries. The irony could not be sharper. At the recent launch of the G20 Expert Task Force on Inequality, chaired by Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, Ramaphosa declared with solemnity that “people across the world know how extreme inequality undermines their dignity and chance for a better future”. He spoke of soaring food and energy prices, debt traps, and widening wealth gaps. He positioned himself as the custodian of a global project to “combat inequality”. And yet, like a seasoned illusionist, he gestured toward inequality…

They have done it! The Springbok Women are through to the quarter-finals of a Rugby World Cup for the first time after showing true South African grit to outlast Italy 29-24 in a dramatic Pool D match in York last night. The Boks needed to win two of their three pool matches to make it to the playoffs, and the defeat of Italy, combined with last week’s rout of Brazil, means they go through, regardless of the outcome of their final pool game against France next week. There were scenes of unbridled jubilation at the final whistle as the South Africans enjoyed a moment they had worked so hard for. In many ways, this game was about the pace of Italy versus the power of South Africa, and it was…

Bafana Bafana's preparations for their crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers have taken a hit, as head coach Hugo Broos has expressed his disappointment regarding the poor state of the Free State Stadium pitch in Bloemfontein. South Africa is scheduled to host their neighbour Lesotho on September 5, before facing a challenging match against Nigeria four days later. In a recent announcement of his 23-man squad, Broos did not hold back his criticism of the venue, which was expected to be in optimal condition following the COSAFA Cup held there in June. "I am a bit disappointed. I was in Bloemfontein and I saw the pitch," he stated. "They had six weeks to fix it. I have observed the efforts made by other cities – Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, and…

Government Pensions Administration Agency says it will conduct a forensic investigation over source of leaked documents The Government Pensions Administration Agency (GPAA) has confirmed it will conduct a forensic investigation to uncover the source of leaked internal documents, a move that has ignited fierce criticism from employee representatives who deem it a “witch hunt against whistleblowers.” The embattled agency has been rocked by allegations of serious financial mismanagement of pension funds amounting to more than R500 million after an audit being prepared for the financial year-end flagged administration issues. The GPAA has written to the chairperson of the price quotation committee seeking approval to appoint Nexus Forensics to conduct an investigation on the allegations of unethical conduct of the removal of confidential information without authorization. This comes after Business Report’s…

South Africa is a nation that knows both endurance and despair. The economy limps along at 0.6 percent growth, unemployment traps more than 32 percent of the labour force and infrastructure strains continue to test confidence. Against this backdrop, it is easy to assume that competence is absent and that leadership has collapsed into permanent decline. And yet, beneath the headlines of failure, there are pockets of renewal. Quietly, and often under immense pressure, a generation of leaders across state-owned enterprises, corporates and new ventures have demonstrated that South Africa is not short of excellence. These stories do not erase wider challenges, nor are they immune to fragility. But they show that discipline and consistency can deliver measurable turnarounds even in the hardest conditions. Few expected Airports Company South Africa…

A technology platform can be and is a perfect stage of the Tower of Babel. One of human beings seeking to establish who and why God exists. But before achieving proportions of godly wrath and destruction, the story of David against Goliath of our times mitigates such an eventuality. Poverty can be history because information technology has removed substantial barriers of access that increase the effort price to access. By removing friction between a many-to-many access, the effort price, a characteristic of physical goods has been wiped out. That we now can access literature in electronic Encyclopaedias that would have circulated amongst a few elites when these were paper, is but an example of how liberating technology and, in particular, internet technology with its ubiquitous reach can be. Access to…

Toys R Us and Babies R Us South Africa has sealed a landmark deal to acquire 13 Toy Zone stores in Gauteng and Durban. The move will retain jobs, expanding its national footprint to 61 Toys R Us and Babies R Us outlets, and accelerating growth in both the toy and baby goods categories. The transaction was approved this week by the Competition Commission. The Toys R Us and Babies R Us brands in South Africa is privately owned by Michmir Investments, which operates locally through Amic Trading under licence from Toys R Us Global. Dr Phumla Mnganga, the chairperson of Toys R Us South Africa, said, “This acquisition is a milestone for Toys R Us and Babies R Us South Africa, giving us an even stronger platform to grow…

If you’ve ever felt like dating in 2025 is more complicated than it should be, you’re not imagining things. Between apps, shifting cultural norms and viral dating trends, navigating love today is almost a full-time job. “Finding and keeping love today is harder than at any point in human history,” says Paul C. Brunson, the author of Find Love and global relationship insights expert for Tinder. In the past, people mostly sought a partner for survival or stability: someone to raise children with or share household responsibilities. Fast-forward to now, and our expectations are sky-high. According to Eli Finkel’s book, The All-or-Nothing Marriage, many people expect their partners to be their best friend, co-parent, business partner, intellectual equal, emotional anchor and lover. That’s a lot for one person to carry.…

The commission of inquiry into allegations of criminality, political interference, and corruption in the criminal justice system, chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, has secured an integrated cybersecurity solution to resist foreign intelligence agencies’ hackers. Earlier this month, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development announced its intention to appoint a qualified service provider to offer an integrated cybersecurity solution that will be capable of resisting hacking attempts by intelligence services and providing end-to-end security. The department stated that the services are necessary to ensure that the commission's operations are supported by a comprehensive cybersecurity offering that maintains the highest standards of accuracy, confidentiality, and accountability. Additionally, the comprehensive cybersecurity solution needed to be capable of resisting sophisticated hacking attempts, including those by State-level or intelligence-grade actors, with…

THE East and Southern African region serves as a thriving source, hub and conduit for a wide variety of illegal commodities, according to the Global Initiative report. International criminal syndicates operate from the shores of Somalia to border crossings and international air and sea points in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia. For example, heroin trafficked from Afghanistan via Pakistan and Iran, is shipped across the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean by boat before it is deposited in the northern Mozambique and Tanzania. There, according to the report titled “Mapping Organised Criminal Economies in East and Southern Africa”, it splits into two primary supply lines: One of higher purity bound for international markets in Europe and Australia, and another that is significantly adulterated and consumed in towns…

Human rights organisation, Black Sash, has expressed serious concerns about the capacity of the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) to roll out compulsory biometric identification for new beneficiaries from this month. Black Sash spokesperson Oliver Meth said they have noted the announcement made by Sassa. “While we recognise the need to strengthen systems and curb fraud in the social grant payment environment, any intervention must be designed and implemented in a way that does not further disadvantage or exclude the very people the grants are intended to support,” Meth said. He also noted Sassa’s ongoing administrative and operational challenges that range from persistent long queues, delayed payments, a flawed review process, and the recent failures in managing Postbank card swaps. “We have serious concerns about its capacity to roll…

FIVE people were shot and two killed in yet another mass shooting in Cape Town, this time at a premises in Kuils River yesterday afternoon. The incident took place in Elizabeth Street in Kalkfontein. Police believe the shooting to be gang-related. Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said: “Detectives of the Anti-Gang unit are combing the scene for clues after unknown assailants opened fire on the occupants of a premises. “Two males did not survive this onslaught on their lives and three others were transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment after this shooting incident in Elizabeth Street at about 1:20pm. The suspects fled the scene and they are yet to be arrested. “The motive for this attack is believed to be gang-related. “Kuils River police registered two counts of murder…

The Proteas face off against England in a much-anticipated ODI series starting in Leeds tomorrow. Independent Media’s Zaahier Adams selects six players to watch. Matthew Breetzke (SA) The English should be well-acquainted with the flamboyant right-hander after spells with Northamptonshire in the T20 Blast. In fact, Breetzke has just penned a two-year deal with the Steelbacks. Breetzke has been on a record-breaking streak in ODI cricket, having become the first batter ever to hit four consecutive scores of 50-plus in his first four ODIs. Jacob Bethell (England) England’s new golden boy. Only 21, Bethell was recently named England’s youngest men's captain when he was tasked with leading the national team in the absence of Harry Brook in the T20I series against Ireland. Born-and-raised in Barbados, the blonde-locked Bethell plays his…

The Cheetahs went from virtual shoo-ins for a home semi-final in the Currie Cup to needing to win their last league game of the season next weekend to potentially secure a place in the playoffs, after their 40-10 thrashing by the Griquas on Friday that kicked off Round Six of the competition. Friday’s loss at the Free State Stadium left the Cheetahs in fourth place on 21 points. It also opened the door for the Lions to draw level on points with the Free Staters after their bonus-point 44-5 victory over the Bulls in Saturday’s crunch derby clash that shut the door on the Bulls’ slim playoff hopes. The Lions moved up one spot, to third in the table, thanks to a superior points difference. The biggest movers at the…