Table of contents for 2021-05-05 in Cape Times

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za Public finances could come under further pressure this year due to the fight against Covid-19 pandemic, but economists have remained optimistic that there was plenty of room to absorb the extra spending. The National Treasury yesterday allocated more than R4 billion extra to purchase Covid-19 vaccines and to extend the special distress grant (SRD). Treasury director-general Dondo Mogajane yesterday tabled a Special Appropriation Bill to Parliament which would be enacted if passed by Members of Parliament. The Bill allocates an additional R1.25bn to the Department of Health to procure vaccines, and implement a related Covid-19 research project. Another R2.83bn was appropriated to the Department of Social Development to fund the extension of the special Covid-19 SRD R350 grant. Mogajane said the National Treasury was “on track” to…

Lisa Isaacs lisa.isaacs@inl.co.za CONSTRUCTION is expected to begin next month on the controversial River Club redevelopment. In a notice dated May 3, the Liesbeek Leisure Properties Trust (LLPT) said it had been granted environmental authorisation for the development. “LLPT hereby gives notice of the intention to commence the redevelopment (construction) of the River Club development in or about mid-June 2021, or as soon as possible thereafter. “As indicated in the Basic Assessment, construction impacts may cause a temporary or intermittent nuisance to neighbouring residents, eg, through the generation of noise and dust, visual clutter and traffic associated with construction vehicles,” the notice reads. “Mitigation measures listed in the approved Environmental Management Programme Report (EMPr) will be implemented to manage impacts as far as possible during the construction phase, though. As…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za THE LGBTQI+ community suffered another suspected hate crime when Phelokazi Ndlwana was stabbed and killed in Khayelitsha. Her murder came just a day after 22-year-old Lonwabo Jack, who was killed, allegedly for being gay, was laid to rest at the weekend. The family and friends of 24-year-old Ndlwana believe she was attacked in Site C early on Sunday morning due to her living openly as a lesbian. Police spokesperson André Traut said a 39-year-old man was arrested on Monday morning in connection with Ndlwana’s murder. “Khayelitsha police received a call to attend to a crime … that took place in Mzoxolo Street. “On their arrival they were directed by the community to the body of a female who succumbed to death from what appeared to be stab…

Robin-Lee Francke and ANA Reporter CAPE Town granny Mina September recently celebrated her 101st birthday after winning her battle against Covid-19 last year. From Bellville, September was born on a farm in 1920 and says her secret to life is a passage from the Bible: “Honour your father and your mother so you may have a long life.” She is still as fit as a fiddle.She contracted Covid-19 after five people in the household tested positive. Living for more than a century, September understands nothing about technology and spent her life as a housewife making clothes. “I never smoked or drank in my life. Instead, I always attended church. I was an only daughter to my father, who also only passed away at the age of 107. “I have…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za A DISHONEST, manipulative person who has uncontrolled anger. This was said in a pre-sentencing report submitted to the Western Cape High Court yesterday that assessed convicted murderer Mzimhle Jikwana’s behavioural patterns. The man, 32, was convicted of kidnapping and the premeditated murder of two-year-old Oyingcwele Zokufa. The boy went missing on August 26, 2018, after Jikwana had an argument with the toddler’s aunt Aviwe, who at the time allegedly ended their intimate relationship. The child’s body was found four days later in a shallow grave on the side of the N2 near Philippi, after Jikwana apparently led police to where he had buried him. Yesterday professor Shanaaz Mathews, director of The Children’s Institute at UCT, who had compiled an assessment report, said Jikwana portrayed a lack of…

Odwa Mkentane odwa.mkentane@inl.co.za LEARNING at Naluxolo Primary School in Samora Machel has been disrupted due to the blockage of a nearby drain that has caused 15 toilets to spill. School Governing Body (SGB) chairperson Judy Davids said the City was alerted to the matter before the end of the first term. Pupils who now attend school twice a week spend less than an hour on the premises due to the stench, she said. “The drain has been blocked since toward the end of last year, and people of the City would come and fix it temporarily. “Then it would start again, this time around they just ignored our calls. “The drain has affected the entire school including the learning schedules of children. “They spend less than an hour at school…

Withholding bank services is arrogance and aggression against the oppressed Masibongwe Sihlahla In the middle ages, we had the witch hunts, and it became notorious as an instrument to get rid of those you fear or owe money or favours to or have power over you, the witch hunts worked strictly on rumour-mongering and once enough people accused you of having witnessed witch behaviour from you, no court or power in the world could save you from the savage crowd. This became a bit more sophisticated during the Spanish Inquisition where the type of rumour was more grandiose accusing innocent people of being Jews etc. During the French Revolution, we had the same terror being meted out on political enemies or those who were feared because they could sway…

Scottish independence supporters are calling Thursday’s election the most important in the nation’s history as they vow that if they win a majority in the devolved parliament, they will push for another referendum on breaking from the UK. The Scottish National Party (SNP) is close to controlling the devolved parliament, known as Holyrood, outright in Thursday’s election. The only time the SNP have won a majority before in 2011, Britain’s then-Prime Minister David Cameron bowed to pressure and agreed to a referendum in 2014. Scots then voted by 55-45% to remain in the more than 300-year-old union. However, even if they win a majority, there are no defined rules for how Scotland can force another referendum. The British government says the law means that Scotland would require the permission of…

A woman approached Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison in tears yesterday, making an emotional plea for him to help her family in Cameroon and asylum-seekers from Africa. The incident was caught on camera after Morrison had finished a news conference in Rockhampton, Queensland. Morrison, whose government has a hardline immigration policy, told the woman government officials would help her. “I’ve lost half of my family. I’ve got no family left if you don’t help me. Everybody will die. Help me, help me,” she pleaded. Cameroon’s two western Anglophone regions have been gripped by fighting since 2017 as English-speaking rebels try to break away from the predominantly Francophone government. More than 3 500 people have died and 700 000 have been displaced in the violence with both sides accused of committing…

CAIRO: An Egyptian court ruled yesterday that the container ship which blocked the Suez Canal in March could continue to be held in the waterway, rejecting an appeal by its Japanese owner against its detention, a judicial source said. The Ever Given, one of the world’s largest container ships, got jammed across the canal on March 23 and remained stuck for six days, stopping traffic in both directions. It has been held in a lake between two stretches of the canal since being dislodged on March 29, amid a dispute over a $916 million (about R13 billion) claim by the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) against Japanese owner Shoei Kisen for compensation over the incident. | Reuters…

NAIROBI: Conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region has separated nearly 5 000 children from their parents, Save the Children said yesterday. Many children now live in crowded conditions, often sleeping in rooms with dozens of unrelated adults, leaving them vulnerable to abuse. Fighting between the federal government and forces in the northern region broke out in November and is believed to have killed thousands and displaced more than a million people. The humanitarian response has been hampered by continued fighting in some areas, the UN says. The government says it has supplied 70% of the food aid sent so far. | Reuters…

MIHLALI BALEKA Former Bafana Bafana international Matthew Booth insists that Benni McCarthy should stay in the PSL for at least another season before accepting the role of being the national team’s new coach. McCarthy is expected to be announced as the new Bafana coach today. His appointment comes after the dismissal of Molefi Ntseki, who failed to guide the team to the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations. McCarthy was not the primary target of Safa after they were snubbed by Carlos Queiroz and Pitso Mosimane. McCarthy, though, finds himself on Safa’s radar after an impressive stint at Durban side AmaZulu. The 43-year-old has taken Usuthu from being perennial relegation candidates to serious title contenders as they are second on the Premiership standings with 50 points, one behind leaders Mamelodi…

HERMAN GIBBS Relegation-haunted Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila scored a 2-1 win over 10-man Kaizer Chiefs after converting an injury-time penalty in their Premiership clash at Peter Mokaba Stadium last night. It looked like an injury-hit Chiefs, who played half the match with a player less following a red card just ahead of the half-time break, would salvage a draw. Instead, Chiefs central defender Siyabonga Ngezana lost his balance in a goalmouth melee and inadvertently handled the ball. TTM’s Thabo Mnyamane scored from the resultant penalty. Chiefs started well, with Kearyn Baccus and Lebogang Manyama combining well to round the TTM defence out wide on the right flank. Nothing, however, came of an inviting goalmouth cross. Three minutes after Chiefs midfielder Njabulo Blom committed a second yellow card offence in the…

WHEN the IOC announced a few weeks ago that they will maintain their stance of forbidding demonstrations on the podium and pitch at the Tokyo Olympics, I was left flabbergasted. On the official Olympic website (olympics.com), it states that Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter is there to protect the neutrality of sport and the Games, adding: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas. “Rule 50 is in place to keep the field of play, the Olympic Village and the podium neutral and free from any form of political, religious or ethnic demonstrations. “We believe the focus at the Olympic Games must remain on athletes’ performances, sport and the international unity and harmony that the Olympic Movement…

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za THE COMPETITION Commission has proposed the Competition Tribunal impose a fine of 10 percent of turnover, with a possible 30 percent discount and negotiation of staggered payments for the alleged collusion by Elliott Mobility with other furniture removal companies. The Competition Tribunal yesterday heard closing arguments in a case where Elliott Mobility was alleged to have colluded with other furniture removal companies on tenders to a number of government departments, including the SANDF and Eskom. The commission accused Elliott of having entered into agreements, or conducted a concerted practice to collude on furniture removal tenders with JH Retief Transport and Cape Express Removals, from about 2008 until at least 2010. The collusion was alleged to have occurred through the provision of cover quotes between…

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za EQUITES Property Fund had no defaults among the tenants of its logistics properties in the year to February 28, despite the devastating effects of Covid-19 lockdowns on the commercial property markets in the UK and South Africa. Equites chief executive Andrea Taverna-Turisan said yesterday in an interview the fact there were no rent defaults, and assistance was provided to tenants that occupied only a fraction of the gross letting area, indicated the defensiveness of the portfolio and the resilience of the company’s mainly blue-chip clients. The only vacancy related to a single logistics unit in the UK and the port- folio vacancy rate was 0.1 percent. The average collection rate over the past year was 99.3 percent in South Africa and 100 percent in the UK.…

Vuyolwethu Fundam Vuyolwethu.Fundam@africannewsagency.co.za People consume alcohol for several reasons, but how do they know when they’re overdoing it? Tingling fingers, stomach problems and bruising easily are some of the indicators that your body is warning you to ease up on the hot toddies. Alcoholism is common. It happens when you drink so often that your body becomes dependent on alcohol, and you feel unable to function without it. Too much alcohol, according to WebMD, can harm you physically and mentally in many ways. Below are some of the signs that suggest you need to take a closer look at your alcohol consumption patterns. Changes in the skin According to Drinkaware, an independent charity working to reduce alcohol misuse and harm in the UK, alcohol can cause your face to…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za ALLEGED underworld figure Nafiz Modack and Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) member Ashley Tabisher appeared briefly in the Bishop Lavis Magistrate’s Court yesterday on charges of corruption. The State alleges a corrupt relationship existed between the pair as Tabisher, 39, had passed on information relating to police operations to criminals, including his co-accused, Modack, 39. The two appeared in a heavily guarded courtroom. According to court documents, Tabisher had colluded with another accused, Amaal Jantjies (an associate of Modack), and they were to let Modack know when the AGU would be coming to his addresses because he “wanted to be ready for them” in November 2019. Tabisher, a sergeant attached to the Tactical Response Team of the AGU, was arrested through an operation conducted at the weekend by the…

Staff writer | Additional reporting by ZINTLE MAHLATI TRANSNET has put a vessel from India under lockdown after 14 people aboard tested positive for Covid-19 at the Durban Port. In a statement, the state-owned entity said the chief engineer of the Eaubonne vessel birthed at the Port of Durban on Sunday, and died of a heart attack. “The Filipino crewed vessel was a 17-day direct sail from India to the Port of Durban and, as a requirement for the next port of call, all crew members from the vessel were tested for Covid-19 and cleared. Upon arrival at the Port of Durban, as a standard precautionary measure, all crew members were tested and 14 of the crew tested positive for Covid-19. The entire vessel is currently in quarantine at…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za RESIDENTS living near the Heideveld, Netreg and Gugulethu train stations protested yesterday over allegations of nepotism and the failure of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) to meet with them in relation to the People’s Responsibility to Protect (PR2P) project. Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula launched the PR2P project in March, aimed at creating partnerships with local communities living near railway lines. It saw the appointment of thousands of community volunteers, who were deployed at 46 rail corridors nationwide to assist Prasa security personnel in protecting rail infrastructure. Heideveld station committee chairperson Isaac de Jongh said the community was being excluded. “When the community wanted to know who sent the names of the volunteers to work here – because we do not know the people –…

Siyabonga Mkhwanazi siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za The Department of Public Works says it is trying to cut down on irregular expenditure – after it shot up to R34 billion a few years ago. Senior officials in the department told MPs yesterday that they were implementing measures to stop the increase in irregular expenditure, and to make sure officials found involved in this were dealt with. Deputy director-general Lesetja Toona said the department has appointed service providers to look at transactions over the past few years. This followed disclaimer audit opinions by the auditor-general relating to irregular expenditure amounting to billions of rand. “One of the disclaimer items was both irregular and fruitless expenditure, and for us to deal with that, the requirement from the auditor-general was that they were not satisfied that irregular…

SINCE the late Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini passed away in March, a low-intensity warfare has been taking place among some members of the royal family over succession and his estate. The feud burst into the open last week after the death of one of King Zwelithini’s widows, Regent Queen Mantfombi Dlamini-Zulu, amid allegations that she had been poisoned. It deepened this week after a faction of the monarchy – led by King Zwelithini’s brother, Prince Mbonisi Zulu, and the late monarch’s sister, Princess Thembi Ndlovu (nee Zulu) – called an impromptu media briefing on the sidelines of Queen Mantfombi’s funeral preparations and used it to call out Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the Zulu nation’s Traditional Prime Minister. The ructions further escalated when the late king’s first wife, Queen Sibongile Dlamini, and…

The effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on employee mental health has been overwhelming. Organisations are realising the deep need to turn their attention and focus on employee wellness, especially during this time of increased separation and decreased human interaction. Psychologically, human beings are wired for connection. This means that even those individuals who would be considered introverts still require a level of human engagement for optimal mental health. The lockdown and further restrictions that resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic made this level of human interaction impossible. Initially some organisations discovered that during lockdown their productivity went up while office overheads went down. This finding has opened more possibilities for a new future in the world of business; one that has a lot more freedom from the office as a set…

Consumers, unions and business leaders in Ivory Coast have sounded the alarm about waves of blackouts hitting major cities, including the economic capital Abidjan and its 5 million residents. The West African nation has boasted strong economic growth for the past eight years and has been a regional leader in energy production. It exported 11% of its 2 200 megawatt production in 2019 to neighbouring Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Fasso, Mali and Liberia. But the past week has seen frequent and severe outages that have upended lives and disrupted the economy – and more may come. The energy ministry blames low water levels at hydro-electric dams, a problem some have attributed to climate change, and lack of supplies for Ivory Coast’s two gas-fired power plants. Breakdowns at Abidjan’s Azito plant,…

LONDON: Meghan Markle is to publish a children’s book in June titled The Bench about the relationship between a father and son, publisher Random House said yesterday. The book is the latest venture by the duchess and her husband, Britain’s Prince Harry, since they stepped down from royal duties and moved to Los Angeles last year with their young son Archie. The book will be published on June 8, with Meghan narrating an audiobook version. “The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father’s Day, the month after Archie was born. That poem became this story,” the duchess said. | Reuters…

GENEVA: The UN refugee agency yesterday welcomed a decision by US President Joe Biden to admit up to 62 500 refugees this year, saying it hoped this would inspire other countries to resettle more people fleeing war or persecution. Biden said he had resurrected a plan to raise refugee admissions this year to 62 500 after drawing a wave of criticism from supporters for initially keeping the refugee cap at a historically low level of 15 000, set by his predecessor Donald Trump. The move came as global resettlement of refugees has plummeted to unprecedented levels after states imposed low quotas due to the Covid-19 pandemic. | Reuters…

London: Uber has teamed up with UK technology startup Arrival to create an electric car for the app-based US ride-hailing firm that will help to cut emissions, the pair said yesterday. The vehicle is expected to enter production in the third quarter of 2023 and the two companies will “explore a strategic relationship in key markets, including the UK and EU”. The Arrival car “will address the global need to shift ride-hailing and car sharing services … to electric to reduce emissions and improve air quality in cities”. Uber has committed to becoming a fully-electric mobility platform in London by 2025. | AFP…

Morgan Bolton When it comes to loosies, the Lions have had it good for the last decade. So, it should come as no surprise that the Lions are once again in possession of an impressive slew of loose-forwards, the most exciting prospects of which are the three young men that were the incumbents against the Bulls last weekend. Vincent Tshituka and MJ Pelser are 22-years old, and Francke Horn is 21 The loosies of this past weekend were arguably one of the better units on the field for the Lions, and helped keep the Joburgers in the fight late into the match. They seemed to have just clicked from the onset, a point of order that former Baby Bok Horn agrees with completely. “I think we understand each other quite…

Ashfak Mohamed Who will stand tallest between the four starting locks from the Bulls and Stormers at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday night? That is not only a pun on the second-rowers, but a very real question as Springbok places are up for grabs for the British and Irish Lions Test series. That is because yet another of the World Cup-winning locks have gone down injured – or in this case, has a different issue to deal with. RG Snyman has been making good progress from a serious knee injury, and was expected to return soon for Irish club Munster to prove his fitness to Bok coach Jacques Nienaber for the Lions tour. But yesterday, Munster announced that Snyman has picked up a new, unrelated knee injury, and will undergo…

Mike Greenaway AFTER a successful but hardly polished performance against the Stormers last week, the Sharks turn their attention to the visiting Lions, a team they have learnt not to disrespect. Yesterday, Sharks No 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe pointed out how the Sharks almost came unstuck when the Lions came to Jonsson Kings Park for a Super Rugby Unlocked match last year. “In that game, they showed us what they can do when we had a good first 40 (only to take the foot of the pedal) and then they came back in the second half and we ended up hanging on for the win. “We have learnt from that and we know we have to start well and finish well too because they are a top quality side,” the 27-year-old…

JSE-LISTED IT service management company 4Sight Holdings yesterday entered into a strategic partnership with Cognius.AI in Africa and beyond to create solutions that leverage conversational AI platforms for the enterprise market. Cognius.AI is a highly innovative AI specialist developer based in Singapore. The group said Cognius.AI’s Sofia platform had the potential to revolutionise AI by modelling AI to human interaction more closely on how human-to-human conversations work. 4Sight entered the partnership after reporting a 6.7 percent decline in revenue to $31.7 million (R458m) for the year to end December and an increase of more than 100 percent increase in net profit to $1.8m, reversing a loss of $5.3m reported a year earlier. 4Sight chief business environment officer Rudi Dreyer said yesterday that conversational AI allowed Sofia to have a…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za A SET of Stellenbosch Municipality-owned houses will be up for auction, after being stripped bare by criminals, while the properties stood vacant for several months. Despite security recently being deployed to guard the houses in Onder Papegaaiberg, residents say the “annoyance and irritation still exists, as taxpayers’ money is being wasted”. Stellenbosch Municipality spokesperson Stuart Grobbelaar said a process to have the properties sold on auction was under way. “There are three municipal properties in Onder Papegaaiberg, that are currently unoccupied. The houses are currently unoccupied, as the leases with the previous tenants came to an end last year and were not renewed. The municipality reviewed its staff housing policy and, in terms of this review, a number of feasible options were considered to ensure the long-term…

BALDWIN NDABA and SAMKELO MTSHALI IT’S do or die for Ace Magashule, following the ANC’s decision to suspend him and other members facing criminal charges, in a clear execution of the party’s March national executive committee (NEC) decision. He is now faced with the option to either comply with his party’s decision or challenge it in a court of law, as his party did not give him and others the option to appeal. Other affected people include former state security minister Bongani Bongo; former eThekwini Municipality mayor Zandile Gumede, Limpopo ANC treasurer Danny Msiza; former Mangaung Metro mayor Olly Mlamleli, as well as councillors in different municipalities in the country. The ANC’s decision came as Bongo appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court yesterday, charged with fraud and corruption amounting…

Ingredients 1.2 kg beef, chopped into small pieces 3 onions, finely chopped 2 ripe red tomatoes, grated ½ green and red pepper, finely chopped 2 tsp garlic grated 2 tsp ginger grated 3 chopped green chillies, or to taste 3 bay leaves 3 pieces stick cinnamon 5 cardamom pods 5 allspice 10 curry leaves 2 tsp tomato paste 2 tbs vegetable oil 2 tbs leaf masala / roasted masala 2 tsp salt, or to taste 2 tsp turmeric 1½ tsp whole coriander seeds 1½ tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp chilli powder (optional) 1 tsp whole fennel / bariship seeds A few potatoes (optional), peeled and cut into quarters Braise chopped onion in oil until transparent or slightly brown. Add garlic, ginger, green and red pepper and braise for…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za FINANCE Minister Tito Mboweni has mounted a strong defence at the Constitutional Court of the government’s pledge to empower black businesspeople previously disadvantaged by apartheid. Mboweni is challenging ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) that declared Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Regulations 2017 invalid and unconstitutional in favour of AfriBusiness, now known as Sakeliga, in October last year. In heads of argument filed by Mboweni’s counsel Ngwako Maenetje SC and Mkhululi Stubbs on April 19, the minister argues that the SCA erred in that it measured the legality of the 2017 regulations solely against the requirements of section 217(1) of the Constitution. “We respectfully submit that the SCA’s approach is a disjointed one and fails to apply trite principles of interpretation in doing so … for…

Siseko Maposa POLITICAL euphoria is a very cynical and deceptive phenomenon. Those who ascribe to its properties are gripped with zealous hope, promise and determination in articulating a prosperous future. Beneath this veil of anticipation, however, lies a bitter truth – that there remains a mountain of complex issues which need to be resolved. As such, positive change in the imminent future is not possible. South Africa in the 1990s was enthralled, understandably, by a persistent euphoria, particularly within black townships and rural communities. The promise of an end to decades of oppression at the hands of the apartheid government brought with it a pervasive optimism – one which painted a lustrous outlook for black South Africans. Additionally, the discourse of South African exceptionalism, championed by the incoming government,…

An elevated metro line collapsed in the Mexican capital yesterday, leaving at least 23 people dead and dozens injured as a train came plunging down, authorities said. Carriages were seen hanging from the overpass in a tangle of twisted cables with the ends pointing towards the ground in a V-shape. “Unfortunately there are 23 deceased,” including minors, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters at the scene in the south of the capital. About 65 others received hospital treatment following the dramatic accident, one of the worst to strike the Mexico City metro since it was inaugurated in 1969. Anxious relatives gathered at the site awaiting news of those believed to have been aboard the train. Efrain Juarez said that his son was in the wreckage. “My daughter-in-law called us.…

A court in India’s capital New Delhi has become the last hope for many hospitals struggling to get oxygen for Covid-19 patients as supplies run dangerously short while government officials bicker over who is responsible. A two-judge Bench of the Delhi High Court has been holding almost daily video conferences to hear petitions from hospitals invoking India’s constitutional right to protection of life. Local and federal officials are attending. The court’s intervention has saved lives, lawyers say. This week, with just 30 minutes of oxygen left for 42 virus patients at Sitaram Bhartia Hospital, and new supplies nowhere in sight, hospital authorities approached the Delhi court as a “last resort” for help, lawyer Shyel Trehan said. The judges ordered the Delhi state government to immediately arrange supplies. “Oxygen cylinders arrived…

LONDON: Melinda Gates, co-founder of one of the world’s largest private charitable foundations, expects the US government will soon weigh up how much of its vaccine supply to donate bilaterally and through the global Covax programme. In her first remarks to be broadcast since she and her husband, Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates, announced they would divorce after 27 years, Gates said governments were waking up to arguments that the global economy needed to be vaccinated to bring the pandemic under control. Wealthy nations did not need to vaccinate down to their teenage populations before they started sharing doses with low-income countries, Gates said, and suggested governments should pick an age range, somewhere between 20 and 30, when they would start donating vaccines. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation last…

CAIRO: Egypt’s military has confirmed it ordered 30 Rafale jets from French defence firm Dassault Aviation to shore up “national security”. The order, which follows the 2015 purchase of 24 Rafale jets, would be financed through a 10-year loan, the military said. The order was part of a secret mega-defence deal worth almost $4.8 billion (R69bn). Egypt is the world’s third-biggest arms importer after Saudi Arabia and India, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Cairo has positioned itself as a bulwark of stability in the region as the conflict in its western neighbour Libya grinds on. | AFP…

Stuart Hess Cricket South Africa is hopeful that all the South Africans - players and support staff - who were participating in the Indian Premier League, will be back in the country by tomorrow. A number of logistical hurdles need to be overcome, but Cricket SA and the players union - the SA Cricketers Association - are confident that the 11 players, along with the support staff contracted to various teams will be back in the country before the end of the week. They will all have to quarantine for between 10 and 14 days. Cricket SA said yesterday it had “made contact with all the relevant franchises, to ensure the expedited travel of all South African players and support staff back to our shores”. The Board of Control for…