Table of contents for 2021-06-24 in Cape Times

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za DE BEERS, the world’s biggest diamond producer by volume, has reported a strong demand for its rough diamonds during its fifth sales cycle as India recovered from the fatal second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. De Beers, a unit of Anglo American plc which holds 10 sales cycles a year for its rough diamonds during sight holder sales and auctions, yesterday recorded a provisional fifth sales cycle value of $470 million (R6.71 billion). The company said that owing to the restrictions on the movement of people and products in various jurisdictions around the globe, it had continued to implement a more flexible approach to rough diamond sales during the fifth sales cycle of 2021, with the Sight event extended beyond its normal week-long duration. It said…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za ATTACQ would consider more residential developments at Waterfall City in partnership with Cape Town-based developer DTE Properties, depending on the sales uptake of the 400-unit The Mix, Attacq’s chief development officer Giles Pendleton said. Attacq and DTE yesterday, in a 50/50 joint venture, launched the R500 million The Mix, which will extend about 13 storeys, just adjacent, but linked to Attacq’s Mall of Africa in Waterfall City. Attacq’s chief development officer Giles Pendleton said in a presentation yesterday that 70 percent of the studio, one and two-bedroomed units, to be priced from R1m to R2m, would need to be sold before construction began, but they expected that all the units would be sold in four to six months. DTE director Robin Magid said the development…

Vuyolwethu Fundam The core is more than just having a toned ab section. It supports your body for every type of movement, whether you're running, sitting, or walking. Here are exercises you can do at home to maintain core strength: Side Plank Lie on your left side with your knees straight. Lift your body, place your weight on the left forearm and elbow Place your right hand on your hip, or put it in the air until it is straight with your body, forming a T shape with your body. Raise your hips until your body develops a straight line from your ankles to your shoulders. Maintain the position and repeat both sides. L-Twists Lie on your back, with knees and hips bent at 90 degrees, arms out to sides,…

Staff writer AUTHORITIES have noted a steep drop in effectiveness in keeping baboons out of urban areas with the withdrawal of paintball markers. In a joint statement, CapeNature and Cape of Good Hope SPCA said the use of paintball markers as an aversion tool to keep baboons out of the urban areas remains legal. “Statutory authorities and the City met on May 26 and June 17 to discuss the impact of the recent withdrawal of the use of paintball markers and to understand under what conditions their use may be reintroduced by the City’s Urban Baboon Programme. “From monitoring results provided by the City, the authorities have noted a steep regression of effectiveness to keeping baboons out of urban areas with the withdrawal of paintball markers. “The effectiveness of using…

Baldwin Ndaba baldwin.ndaba@inl.co.za DIGITAL Vibes legal troubles are mounting following a Special Investigative Unit (SIU) pledge to launch another court application to recover the entire R150 million which was irregularly and unlawfully paid to them. The pledge came after the SIU won a first round victory to freeze more than R22m found in the company’s banking and investment accounts. Now the law enforcement agency has vowed to approach the Special Tribunal in the next 30 days with the aim of recovering the remainder of the amount through attachment of properties belonging to the owners of Digital Vibes and those who benefited from the alleged irregular and unlawful tender. SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said their next application will seek an order against Digital Vibes and other relevant entities/individuals to pay back…

OWN Correspondent WITH one month to go before the 8th South African International Ballet Competition (SAIBC) starts at Artscape, founder and chief executive Dirk Badenhorst has announced that ballerina Michaela DePrince will host a live-streamed panel discussion on inclusivity and the breaking of barriers in the ballet world. It will take place on July 22 at 4pm, one of two expert-led conversations during the week-long competition. The other panel discussion will be held on July 20 and will be about dancer health and well-being, and it will be facilitated by The Healthy Young Dancer Project. DePrince, 26, whose personal story has been told throughout the world, is a Forbes Class of 2020 Honouree and ambassador for War Child Holland. Born in Sierra Leone, she lost both her parents in that…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za ALLEGED underworld figure Jerome “Donkie” Booysen and his wife, Tina, who are married in community of property, have been prohibited from dealing with their multimillion-rand assets while a criminal case is before court. A restraint order was issued against the dealing of 18 immovable properties registered in Booysen’s name, and a number of other properties – valued at an estimated R21.35 million – registered to Albatross Isle Trade (Pty) Ltd, while he faces a number of criminal charges including racketeering, and which supports the likelihood that if he is convicted in the criminal matter, a confiscation order may be granted in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (Poca). Booysen had lodged an urgent application to the Western Cape High Court in which he sought for…

Siyavuya Mzantsi siyavuya.mzantsi@inl.co.za THE corruption-accused SANDF members arrested at Beitbridge border post for allegedly smuggling stolen cars out of the country are set to remain behind bars following their court appearance. Rapula Reuben Maidi, Edward Lepokola, Bulelani Danti, Ludwe Gwedashe, Thembani Mjelo, Marks Funeka and Peter Thato Namane appeared in the Musina Magistrate’s Court following their arrests on Monday and Tuesday. They allegedly connived with smuggling syndicates to get stolen vehicles across the Limpopo River in exchange for money. “It is further alleged that the suspects would demand R15 000 per vehicle, which would be shared among themselves. “This also endangers the majority of their honest colleagues,” said police spokesperson Matimba Maluleke. The accused, aged between 30 and 51, whose military ranks range from lance-corporal to private, were on the…

HELMO PREUSS THE Chinese Communist Party (CPC) was founded on July 1, 1921 in Shanghai. On July 31, 1921, the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA) was founded in Cape Town. Both parties were “vanguard” parties in terms of Marxism/Leninism, they saw themselves as being the leaders of the working class and would strive to raise their living standards. That is why the CPC and CPSA, now called the SACP, both aim to improve the lot of the mass of the proletariat by providing free education, free health care, food security and low-cost housing. Unlike the few thousand members of the SACP, the CPC membership is just short of 92 million or 6.5% of the population of China. The CPC aims to be able to help the working class by…

London: Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday extolled Britain’s decision to “take back control of our destiny”, five years after a divisive Brexit referendum whose political and economic aftershocks are still reverberating. The coronavirus pandemic has masked the trade dislocation caused by the referendum of June 23, 2016, in which a slim majority voted to end five decades of integration with the European mainland. The benefits promised by Johnson for a newly invigorated “Global Britain” remain a work in progress, while the UK’s own cohesion is at risk from an emboldened nationalist movement in pro-EU Scotland. But Johnson, who rode to power after years of post-referendum paralysis, remains upbeat. “Five years ago the British people made the momentous decision to leave the EU and take back control of our destiny. “Now…

Carrying a banner demanding “freedom for Catalonia”, separatist leaders who were jailed over their role in a failed 2017 bid for independence walked out of prison yesterday after the central government granted them pardons. Seven of the nine pardoned leaders were greeted by the pro-independence head of the Catalan regional government, Pere Aragones, outside the Lledoners jail, Reuters footage showed. “Amnesty is what we want and we will achieve it,” said former Catalan parliament speaker Carme Forcadell as she walked out of a separate jail in Barcelona, calling her release a “small victory”. Catalan separatists are seeking a broad amnesty for all those involved in the 2017 independence bid. The central government pardoned the nine politicians and activists in a gesture aimed at starting negotiations on solving the political conflict…

Stockholm: A draft UN report on a warming planet allows the world to “face the reality” of climate change, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, 18, said yesterday. While the draft from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirmed that the “situation is very dire” and there is a “need to act right now”, Thunberg said it also made her hopeful since it “could wake people up”. The report, seen exclusively by AFP, projects how species extinction, more widespread disease, unliveable heat, ecosystem collapse, cities menaced by rising seas and other devastating climate impacts are accelerating. It says the impacts are bound to become painfully obvious before a child born today turns 30. Many thresholds are closer than thought and dire consequences stemming from decades of unbridled carbon pollution are…

COLOMBO: Marine creatures including sea turtles that were washed ashore along the Sri Lankan coastal line over recent days died over a chemical leak from the X-Press Pearl vessel, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Wildlife and Forest Conservation CB Rathnayake said yesterday. Rathnayake said investigations would continue to determine the exact cause of deaths. “A large number of sea creatures in the ocean have died as a result of the fire aboard the X-Press Pearl vessel that was transporting chemicals. Investigations were conducted to determine the cause of death and clear signs of acid burns were visible on the dead sea turtles,” Rathnayake said.…

Thobile Mazibuko thobile.mazibuko@inl.co.za Rich Mnisi is a true fashion icon. The multiaward-winning designer broke the internet on Monday when he posted a picture of himself in a miniskirt, showing off his beautiful long legs. Mnisi wore a brown pleated miniskirt, white long sleeve shirt, Gucci pullover, white socks, sneakers and sunglasses, and completed the look with a Christian Dior saddlebag. Many people on Twitter loved his look. Some even encouraged more men to wear skirts. “If your masculinity depends on what you’re wearing, my man, you have issues. Your insecurities are showing,” commented @MogomotsiLebot2. It wasn’t the first time Mnisi rocked a miniskirt. I mean, with legs like his, it would be a crime if he didn’t show them off and teach the haters that clothes are non-binary. In November…

From page 1 Zille said they did not allow anyone to categorise people on the basis of their race. “The DA defends the Constitution founded on this central pillar. This means that we do not accept the right of anyone, let alone the State, to categorise people on the basis of their race, and that individuals have the right to self-identify and to be judged by their contributions, experience and qualifications, rather than the colour of their skin. “The DA applies this founding constitutional value in all its work. We could, for example, easily ask questions about the lack of diversity of the ANC’s Top Six, the Cabinet, ANC campaign managers, candidates, mayors or ANC governments, but we do not do so. Why not? Because their race is irrelevant to…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za SINSILE Vapi, a caretaker at Sonwabo Primary School in Gugulethu, put his fear of needles aside to be among the first group in the education sector to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Still dressed in his work clothes, Vapi, 48, who has been working at the school for about 10 years, said he was motivated by his wife to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the Pinelands EMS site yesterday, and had no regrets. “I was informed by the school principal on Tuesday that we would go together to get vaccinated. The thought of being injected made me nervous at first, but I wanted to get it and my wife was also very supportive. The staff were gentle and I feel no difference than before the vaccine…

Odwa Mkentane odwa.mkentane@inl.co.za THE Newton Sport Agency, which represented long jump star Luvo Manyonga, has described the banned athlete’s allegations of mismanaging his funds as baseless. The agency has now instructed its attorneys to correspond with Manyonga to request that he desist from making these “false allegations” and is considering the appropriate legal action. This was after the country’s 2017 sportsman and sport star of the year told the Cape Times that the agency dropped him in a manner that suggested he did not have potential any more. He claimed that the company booked him into a drug rehabilitation centre without his consent where he was “treated like a prisoner”. He said the government paid for his rehabilitation in Gqeberha but the money went to Newton’s account, not to the…

INGREDIENTS method | Fatima Sydow 1kg potatoes, peeled 130 g butter 1 litre full-cream milk 625ml sugar 125ml cake flour 5ml baking powder 30ml (2 T) vanilla essence 45 ml custard powder 10 eggs 2.5ml ground cardamom (optional) For the stewed fried fruit 750ml mixed dried fruit 250ml sugar Boil the potatoes in a pot full of water until soft. Drain and place in a bowl, then mash them with the butter and 125ml milk until smooth. Fold in the sugar, flour, baking powder and vanilla essence and mix until well combined. Preheat the oven to 180°C Mix a little milk with custard powder. Beat the remaining milk, the eggs and custard mixture together until well combined. Add this to the mashed potato mixture and stir until well combined. Pour…

Athandile Siyo athandile.siyo@inl.co.za THE City’s new council-approved water-metering approach has been slammed as an acknowledgement that restricting the water supply of indigent households was “inhumane” and “inadequate” for large homes. The City this week said it will, as of July 1, start implementing its revised approach to domestic metering. All registered indigent households will receive an allocation of up to 15 000l of water and the related 70% calculated for sanitation, at no charge per month. The City’s water and sanitation department will begin the process of releasing volume-restricting water meters to “open flow” and registered indigent households will no longer have a water management device, with a daily volume of water allocated to the property, but will need to take responsibility for ensuring the amount of water used at…

Odwa Mkentane odwa.mkentane@inl.co.za A GROUP of Kayamandi residents picketed outside the Stellenbosch Municipality offices yesterday demanding the removal of the deputy mayor, Nyaniso Jindela, who faces charges in connection with the murder of former deputy mayor Cameron Mcako. The group handed over a memorandum demanding that the municipality suspend Jindela, and that the DA suspend him from the party as they have done with other members who have had allegations levelled against them. Jindela was arrested along with his wife, Unathi, and taxi owner Gladstone Relegu. However, they were released on R5 000 bail each. The three recently appeared in the Stellenbosch Magistrate’s Court and were charged with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, illegal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of ammunition. Mcako was shot at his…

Dr Deks Dekenah | Claremont IT IS SO sad, even heartbreaking to know, that so many people’s lives can be saved and the burden on the hospitals with this Covid-19 third wave can be lessened by a cheap treatment if someone in the health department or the government will just have the guts to do it. I cringe to think I am sharing this beautiful country with so many ignorant people in power. I have been helping many, many patients with the use of this miracle, lifesaving treatment regime and have not lost a single patient to Covid, even keeping them out of hospitals, and the government can do the same for all our citizens who have not been vaccinated yet. I personally have always used this treatment myself whenever…

Three people were killed, while 26 were injured in a blast in the Pakistani city of Lahore; six of the injured are in critical condition, police sources told Sputnik yesterday. The incident occurred in the Johar Town area, close to the residence of Hafiz Saeed, a UN-designated terrorist who is a co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba and the chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawah militant groups. Lahore Deputy Commissioner Mudassir Riaz Malik told Samaa TV that the injured include one police official, women and children. The cause of the explosion remains unclear. Lahore Police Chief Ghulam Mehmood Dogar told reporters the incident appeared to be a bomb blast and an investigation was under way. According to local medias, it could have been a gas pipeline explosion or an improvised explosive device blast. Punjab Inspector…

Nicaragua’s government is facing growing international pressure this week to halt a crackdown on political opponents amid reports that a prominent journalist fled the country and a former first lady was placed under house arrest. In a joint statement, 59 countries at the UN Human Rights Council, including the US, urged the government of President Daniel Ortega to roll back the campaign that has targeted opposition leaders, journalists, human rights activists and business executives for harassment and arrest ahead of presidential elections in November. “We are deeply concerned that recently enacted laws unduly restrict political participation, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. The arbitrary dissolution of political parties and the criminal proceedings against multiple presidential contenders and dissidents are especially worrisome,” the statement said. In recent weeks, authorities have…

London: A British police officer who tasered ex-Aston Villa footballer Dalian Atkinson and then kicked him twice in the head was yesterday convicted of manslaughter but cleared of murder. Jurors at Birmingham Crown Court took nearly 19 hours to reach unanimous verdicts on Benjamin Monk, who said he was put in fear of his life by the actions of the former player on August 15, 2016. Jurors are still deliberating on an assault charge relating to Monk’s colleague and former girlfriend, police constable Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith. Monk told the court he ran in fear after Atkinson, who appeared to be having a mental health crisis, made death threats.…

ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopia’s parliamentary polls held on Monday, were conducted in a “credible” manner, the AU’s election observer mission said yesterday. “Overall the election and election day processes were conducted in an orderly, peaceful and credible manner,” former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, the head of the mission of 100 observers, told a news conference in Addis Ababa. The election in the country of 109 million people has been billed by the government as the first free vote in the country’s history. But it has been marred by an opposition boycott, war and reports of irregularities in some areas.…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za CRICKET South Africa’s new board of directors, will make the appointment of senior management - including a chief executive - one of its primary tasks as it sets out to restore trust in the organisation. At a meeting on Tuesday, Lawson Naidoo, one of the newly-appointed independent directors was chosen as chairman of the board, with senior counsel, Steven Budlender named as lead director. Naidoo said yesterday that in addition to filling management vacancies - which besides the chief executive also includes a new chief commercial officer - the board would look into the organisation’s finances, which have suffered as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic but also the incompetence of the previous administration. “We need to start working on stabilising the finance, and we must investigate…

THE Junior Boks overcame heavily inclement conditions and a spirited Argentina yesterday afternoon to maintain their unbeaten record in the four-nation competition under way in Stellenbosch, with a 33-26 win. The South Africans were underdogs going into the match after they had struggled to beat Uruguay in their first match while the Pumitas had put 80 points past Georgia, who are the Boks’ opponents in the next round of matches on Monday. Rain lashed down on the players as they lined up for the national anthems and while it lessened when the game got under way, a muddy surface and a ball as slippery as soap had been ensured. Right wing Canan Moodie repeated his brace scored against Uruguay while Jordan Hendrikse, who is the current Lions…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za THE national Department of Health said it was working closely with provinces to place medical interns at health facilities, amid concerns that over 200 of them have still not been placed. The SA Medical Association (Sama) said it was a recurring problem and the association was extremely concerned as the latest figures indicated that 284 medical interns had not yet been placed for the July intake. “The SA Medical Association is concerned about the number of interns still not placed and is not satisfied with the recurrent nature of this matter. The association supports the efforts of the national Department of Health to allocate interns who have not yet been placed due to a shortfall of posts; however, more should be done to speed up the process,…

Samkelo Mtshali samkelo.thulasizwe@inl.co.za TWO of the biggest unions at Transnet have slammed the government for “blindsiding” them following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement on Tuesday that Transport National Ports Authority (TNPA) would become an independent subsidiary of Transnet. The United National Transport Union (Untu) and the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) said they had been shocked and caught off-guard by Ramaphosa’s announcement. Ramaphosa said that an interim board would be appointed by Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) Minister Pravin Gordhan by June 30 to establish the new independent subsidiary. Untu general secretary Steve Harris and Satawu’s general secretary, Jack Mazibuko, also lashed out at Gordhan for what they termed a misleading statement when he said that the two had welcomed the government's decision to make TNPA an independent…

Zanele Mvana zanele.mvana@inl.co.za MASS killings have become a common occurrence in Gugulethu, says the Gugulethu Development Forum, following the killing of seven people yesterday. The latest shooting brought memories of the killing of eight people between the ages of 30 and 40 in the township last November. This time, the seven believed to have been at a traditional ceremony, were murdered execution style. Police have since instituted the 72-hour activation plan for the mobilisation of resources in search of gunmen. Police teams were already pursuing several leads, said acting provincial police commissioner Thembisile Patekile. “The teams will work through the night conducting tracing operations,” said Patekile. Crime scene experts were still scouring the scene in NY 79, where five people were shot dead by unidentified suspects who later fled in…

Mariaan Roos SOUTH Africa is currently preparing for the upcoming local government elections later this year. It is no secret that our municipalities face many challenges, including negative audit outcomes, reported corruption, weak financial and performance management, lack of legal compliance, and staggering irregular, fruitless, and wasteful and unauthorised expenditure. Many municipalities have also made limited progress in addressing negative audit outcomes. The Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) Citizens Report on municipalities (2018-2019) states that during the three years of the current local government administration, the audit outcomes of 76 municipalities have even regressed. Less noticeable is that audit committees are an important pillar in corporate governance and can play a key role in addressing some of the aforementioned challenges at municipalities. Audit committees, appointed as a sub-committee of…

Staff writer ROBBEN Island Museum (Rim) has discontinued the disciplinary process against two executives who were investigated for mismanagement, and withdrawn all charges against them. Last year, the museum’s council resolved that certain allegations of mismanagement at the museum, made by the Ex-Political Prisoners’ Association, be investigated. Following an investigation and the council receiving a report on legal advice that indicated there was a prima facie case for disciplinary steps to be taken, charges of misconduct were brought against the executives and it was contemplated that a disciplinary process would ensue on June 21 and 22. “Pursuant to the receipt of certain documentation submitted to the investigators by the employees’ representatives, and the assessment of those documents against the evidence expected from witnesses to testify on the council’s behalf, the…

A YEAR ago Dubai Police, in co-operation with the FBI, arrested a transnational cyber scam gang living in the UAE. They tracked the Nigerian gang leader through his Instagram account, “Hushpuppi”, and extradited him to the US to face criminal charges for alleged money laundering. The UAE and South Africa finally ratified an extradition treaty in June after 11 years of trying. What chance of a similar joint operation between Dubai Police and the Hawks, in nabbing the Gupta sibling troika – Ajay, Rajesh and Atul, and their sidekick Salim Essa, and returning them from their emirate refuge to face charges of alleged corruption in South Africa? The fact that they fled suggests they either distrust South African justice or they have something to hide. After all, there is an…

THERE is a sense of déjà vu about the mayhem that unfolded during the branch general meeting of the ANC in Lephalale in Limpopo at the weekend. Kemotho Daniel Nkanyane appeared before the Phalala Magistrate’s Court on Monday following a brutal altercation at the meeting. Two people were shot dead and 16 others were wounded during the altercation. However, this was not the first time such matters have been reported after branch general meetings. It is at these crucial meetings where branch leaders are chosen. The leaders generally become candidates for ward councillors and to be part of regional structures. Apart from disagreements about the candidates, nominees allegedly manipulate the attendance lists to ensure that only members guaranteed to vote for them are at the meeting. In the build-up to…

FOUR police officers who had gone missing after a militant attack in Burkina Faso on Monday have been found dead, raising the police death toll to 15, police sources said yester- day. The ambush occurred while the unit was on a relief mission to the town of Yirgou, which has been hit by recent violence, Security Minister Ousseini Compaore said in a statement. Initially 11 police officers were reported killed and four missing. Five police sources told Reuters that the four missing were now confirmed dead. Attacks by militants linked to al- Qaeda and Islamic State are surging across Africa’s Sahel region, killing thousands and displacing millions across Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. About 1.2 million people have been displaced by the violence in Burkina Faso. At least 132 people…

VATICAN CITY: A different type of participant dropped in on Pope Francis’ general audience at the Vatican yesterday – Spider-Man. A man dressed in a full, skin-tight, red, black and blue costume of the comic book character – including head cover – was sitting in a VIP section of the audience in the Vatican’s San Damaso Courtyard. He sat quietly next to a priest dressed in black who appeared to be unperturbed by the colourful character with big white eyes in the next seat. It was not immediately clear why Spider-Man had dropped in.…

TOKYO: Authorities are considering moving the first three days of the Tokyo leg of the Olympic torch relay off public roads, because a quasi-state of emergency will still be in place, broadcaster NHK said yesterday. The Tokyo part of the relay is due to start on July 9 and continue until the opening ceremony on July 23. However, much of the host city is currently under a quasi-state of emergency which will remain in place until July 11. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games was delayed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, and still faces resistance from a substantial portion of the public which fears it may cause further Covid-19 outbreaks.…

New Delhi: India yesterday handed over to Bangladesh a 17-year-old girl who was pushed into prostitution six months ago by a gang involved in illegal human trafficking between the two countries. The girl, whose name was withheld, was lured by two members of the human trafficking gang in Bangladesh on the pretext of providing her with a job in a beauty parlour in India. Ravi Kant, commanding officer of 99 Battalion BSF, said the BSF was taking strict steps to prevent infiltration and human trafficking along the India-Bangladesh border.…

eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za Comment KAIZER Chiefs fans will do well to keep that champagne on ice ahead of this weekend’s second leg of the CAF Champions League semi-final against Wydad Casablanca. Undoubtedly, the Glamour Boys did fantastically well to beat Wydad away from home and they deserve praise for that. But the shock victory was also made possible by goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma who delivered the greatest performance of his career in the game. There is no doubt that the away team will once again be looking to test the Chiefs shot-stopper at the FNB Stadium on Saturday and it would be unrealistic for the club to expect heroics from him in every game. Should Chiefs win the Champions League despite their poor league form, it will not be the first time…