Table of contents for 2021-07-23 in Cape Times

From page 1 me to say I won and would be flying to Hollywood,” he added. From humble beginnings as a 2-D background artist, Spinas has since earned professional titles in the art world, including apprentice, designer, director and chief executive – all while still trying to make it as an illustrator. With a passion for the visceral and an uncanny talent for bringing complicated concepts to life, he has been involved in numerous projects with clients from across the globe. Inspired by the likes of Jim Lee, Bernie Wrightson and Riccardo Federici, Spinas possesses a distinct and instantly recognisable style: bold, gritty, and richly detailed. He is currently engaged as director of an indie publishing house. Spinas is also calling for support of his Kickstarter campaign called Lovecraft in…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za ENVIRONMENTAL activists have welcomed the pre-directive issued to the City by the province this week, pertaining to pollution in the False Bay Nature Reserve. The pre-directive was issued by the provincial Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning on Wednesday. It gave the City seven days to make representations as to why a directive in terms of Section 28 of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) should not be issued. This after community organisation Friends of Zeekoevlei & Rondevlei (FoZR) early this month reported that raw sewage was flowing into the water body from a burst pipe on the eastern shore. MEC Anton Bredell said a team of Green Scorpions conducted an investigation into reports of pollution in the False Bay Nature Reserve on July 8. “Our…

SECRETS FROM THE COCKPIT Robert Schapiro Loot.co.za (R189) JONATHAN BALL THOSE magnificent men in their flying machines, They go up tiddly up up, They go down tiddly down down. They enchant all the ladies and steal all the scenes. Who has not marvelled at the elegant sight of a smartly attired airline pilot making his way through an airport terminal or wondered what it is like to pilot a huge aircraft? Robert Schapiro was one of those magnificent men, one of those smartly attired airline pilots and in his posthumously published book, Secrets from the Cockpit, he has written about “Pilots Behaving Badly and other Flying Stories”. By the time he retired as a pilot at the age of 52, he had been aviating for 34 years. “I’m not trying…

THE Rainbow Nation is well past its expiry date. Recent weeks have seen lightning bolts of protest and storms of smash-and-grab take the shine right out of the Rainbow. This political turbulence was inevitable. A storm has been brewing since 1994 when the very first winds of reconciliation-without-justice blew in empty puffs of fake hope for black South Africans. Promises of a better life for black people, once the proud rally cry of the ANC, is no longer part of the governing party’s vocabulary. The material conditions of ordinary black South Africans remain dire. Each new dawn is a dark day. In my recently published book, No White Lies: Black Politics and White Power in South Africa, I write how in present-day South Africa, white supremacy is sovereign, while black…

LONDON – Britain’s supermarkets, wholesalers and hauliers were yesterday struggling to ensure stable food and fuel supplies after an official health app told hundreds of thousands of workers to isolate after contact with someone with Covid-19. Coronavirus cases in Britain have been broadly rising for a month, with over 44 000 recorded on Wednesday. British newspapers carried front-page pictures of empty shelves in supermarkets. Reuters reporters said food items were widely available in London shops although there were some shortages of bottled water, soft drinks, and salad and meat products. “We’re very concerned about the situation,” Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said when asked about reports of empty supermarket shelves in some areas. “We’re monitoring the situation.” Britain’s second-largest supermarket group Sainsbury’s said customers would generally be able to find the…

LOS ANGELES: Harvey Weinstein, 69, made his California, courtroom debut this week and pleaded not guilty to four counts of both forcible rape and forcible oral copulation, as well as two counts of sexual battery via restraint and a single count of sexual penetration by use of force. The former Hollywood producer, who appeared in a wheelchair, remained relatively silent during his LA court appearance, except to thank the judge for his well-wishes. The 69-year-old is presently serving a 23-year prison sentence handed down by a New York court in February 2020.…

Norway yesterday commemorated the 10-year anniversary of the 2011 attacks that killed 77 people by ringing church bells across the country in honour of the victims. On July 22, 2011, right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik detonated a bomb near the government headquarters in Oslo, killing eight people. He then disguised himself as a policeman and went on a shooting spree at a summer camp for left-wing youth on the island of Utoya, killing another 69 people – most of them teenagers. Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg, who was then the country’s labour party prime minister, said in speech yesterday that, “ten years ago, we met hatred with love, but the hatred is still present”. After the attacks, he had distinguished himself by promising “more democracy” and “more humanity”. Breivik set off…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za AFTER reaching a consent agreement for overpricing raw ginger, the Competition Tribunal ordered that Fruit Stop – a fruit and vegetable supplier – would donate essential goods to the value of about R23 000 to a community safe house. In a statement, the tribunal confirmed the consent agreement between the Competition Commission and Fruit Stop CC, after the commission found that a Fruit Stop branch in Wonderboom, Pretoria, between April and June 2020, charged excessive prices for raw ginger – a basic food item protected under the Consumer Protection Regulations. Fruit Stop, however, disputed that it had charged excessive prices for the raw ginger but was willing to resolve the matter by concluding the consent agreement and agreed to donate fruit, vegetables and groceries to the value…

Staff writer MORE than half of all children in Africa experience physical abuse, while in some parts of the continent four in 10 girls suffer sexual violence before the age of 15. This is according to data released by the African Partnership to End Violence against Children (Apevac) – an initiative of the African Child Policy Forum (ACPF). The organisation has launched a new drive to curb what it described as unacceptable levels of violence against children (VAC) in Africa. “Of all the unspeakable damages suffered by our children, violence is surely the worst, simply because it is entirely avoidable, yet leaves lasting scars,” said Graça Machel, chairperson of the ACPF International Board of Trustees. “We cannot accept such suffering at any level of African society, as its devastating impacts…

Lisa Isaacs lisa.isaacs@inl.co.za LEVEL five water restrictions have been implemented with immediate effect in Greater Oudtshoorn Municipal areas, including De Rust, Dysselsdorp and the Klein Karoo Rural Water Supply Scheme (KKRWSS), as dam levels remain critical. The region’s main water source, the Raubenheimer Dam, is currently at 37%, equivalent to approximately 200 days of water for Oudtshoorn. Mayor Chris Macpherson urged residents to use water sparingly. “Since the end of 2020, there has been no significant rainfall in the catchment area of ​​the Raubenheimer dam. As a result, the level of the dam has decreased steadily and currently stands at 37%, which is equivalent to approximately 200 days of water for Oudtshoorn. “If the catchment area does not get good rains soon, we will face a serious water crisis,” said…

IT cannot be underestimated what a deep legacy and imprint the man who started this publishing company has left on the book world. Jonathan Ball: A Tribute Michele Magwood Loot.co.za (R245) Jonathan Ball Publishers Jonathan Ball passed away earlier this year on April 3 following a short illness. This collection of more than 40 essays, commissioned to pay tribute to a giant in the publishing industry shows what a deep mark he left on so many different people in different ways. Father, businessman, friend, brother, colleague: the subheads of each tribute show the different hats he wore: publisher extraordinaire, history expert, liberal thinker, suitor and much more. Ball also left an amazing mark on our country's political and cultural life. In his time he published books on important historical…

Mark Keohane The Tokyo Summer Olympics have arrived, a year later than expected, but with as much uncertainty as there was a year ago when the 2020 Olympics was postponed because of Covid-19. The official opening ceremony is today, even though team sports like soccer started earlier in the week, but it’s been a week of chaos with athletes testing positive in the village, officials and athletes going into quarantine and some athletes testing positive before even leaving for Japan. There has also been no guarantee that the Summer Olympics won’t be cancelled in the next fortnight. If the infections continue to rise, the Games could end with as little fanfare as they will start. For now, though, we have a Summer Olympics – even though most countries won’t send…

Riots at two prisons in Ecuador left at least 18 dead and more than 50 injured, including police officers, authorities said, updating an earlier toll. Elite police units have regained control of the two prisons, one in the southwest province of Guayas and the other in the central Andean province of Cotopaxi, the SNAI prisons management body said late yesterday. Ten inmates died and 35 were injured, along with six police officers, in the violence at the Cotopaxi prison. Eight inmates died and three police were injured at the Guayas facility. The SNAI had earlier reported eight dead in Guayas and 20 injured in Cotopaxi. The two jails previously experienced violent riots in February, when clashes between rival gangs vying for control of the country’s main prisons left 79 inmates…

LOSE ANGELES: Idris and Sabrina Elba will host the GQ Men Of The Year awards 2021. The 24th edition of the annual awards ceremony, in association with Hugo Boss, will return to London live in September with the 48-year-old actor and his model wife as co-hosts. “In their various ways, the GQ Men Of The Year Award winners have kept all of our spirits up throughout one of the most difficult years and we are very much looking forward to celebrating with them – and hosting a great party!” they said. The awards ceremony was held virtually last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Previous winners and attendees include the Prince Of Wales, Captain Sir Tom Moore, Paul Mescal, Nicole Kidman, Marcus Rashford, Stormzy, Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop, Sir Ian…

ISLAMABAD: At least 14 people have died, while 26 others were injured as a result of heavy rains in the north-western Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on yesterday. The heavy downpour has killed four men, two women and eight children since Monday. The rainstorm have also partially damaged or destroyed at least 25 houses. The PDMA has ordered local authorities to step up their assistance for victims, according to the Pakistani ARY broadcaster. The national meteorologist services warn that the rains could cause floods and landslides.…

New York: Adults and children with Covid-19 who have a history of malnutrition may have an increased likelihood of death and the need for mechanical ventilation, according to a study. Malnutrition hampers the proper functioning of the immune system and is known to increase the risk of severe infections for other viruses, but the potential long-term effects of malnutrition on Covid-19 outcomes are less clear, said Louis Ehwerhemuepha from Children’s Hospital of Orange County in California, US. Children older than 5 and adults aged 18 to 78 years with previous diagnoses of malnutrition were found to have higher odds of severe Covid-19 than those with no history of malnutrition.…

NGK referred to Competition Tribunal on price-fixing allegations EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za The COMPETITION Commission has referred leading spark plug maker, NGK Spark Plug Company and its South African subsidiary, to the Competition Tribunal for price fixing, market division and collusive tendering. The commission said yesterday that it was seeking an order from the tribunal to levy an administrative penalty equivalent to 10 percent of the annual turnover of either NGK, or its local subsidiary NGK SA. NGK is a global player in the market for the manufacture and supply of spark plugs to vehicle manufacturers. The commission investigated the company as part of its probe into 63 automotive components manu- facturers, which are alleged to have colluded in 310 separate instances involving 92 automotive components. The commission’s investigation…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za THE country’s education unions are expecting to soon obtain more details from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) over the proposed 2023 school calendar. The DBE drafted two calendars that have different reopening and closing dates for inland and coastal schools. If approved, the 2023 academic year commences on January 11 to March 24 for inland schools while coastal schools start on January 18 and close on March 31. Learners would have 199 school days while teachers would have a total of 203. South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) general-secretary Mugwena Maluleke said the calendar portrayed predictions of schools going back to normality. “Having two types of calendars was the norm pre-Covid. We will make our submissions as the unions to the department after going through…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za TRANSPORT officials including MEC Daylin Mitchell and Minister Fikile Mbalula have lost control of the taxi industry impasse which continues to wreak havoc in the province, with no end in sight for stranded commuters. This is how community activists have reacted following news that Mitchell and Mbalula’s efforts failed in “silencing the guns” in the Western Cape. The violence has seen 83 murders and 56 attempted murders in the Western Cape since the start of the year. This week it escalated to the targeting of Golden Arrow bus drivers, with one recovering in hospital after being shot in the face. Taxis are not operating in most communities across the province. Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS), which was forced to operate at 50% capacity, has increased this to…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za THE third wave may be flattening, but the public must continue to adhere to Covid-19 protocols, as restricted testing and the ongoing taxi violence could be influencing the exact number of infections in the Western Cape. “Most sub-districts were seeing a plateau in case numbers this last week, which may be artificial, and due to a range of factors including restricted testing criteria and the recent taxi violence. A similar plateau in case numbers is being seen in the rural districts as well,” the province’s head of health, Dr Keith Cloete, said yesterday. The exception was the Central Karoo, which continued to see an increase in case numbers, he added. Despite the plateau, Cloete said the number of people being hospitalised continued to increase in both the…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za AN independent veterinarian who was among the team that medically treated Bolo, the Waterfall troop’s alpha male baboon, has said news of him being euthanised came as an “unfair blow and betrayal” to their intentions to allow him a chance to recover. It is understood that Bolo was found earlier this month by the NCC Environmental Services blind and unable to move freely. He was treated by the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, which deemed him physically fit to return to his troop this week, but instead he was collected by CapeNature and euthanised on Tuesday. Dr Georgina du Plessis, an independent consultant, has in an open letter expressed her anger and disapproval of the decision to euthanise Bolo and said they had decided it was worth…

Seven Days in June Tia Williams Loot.co.za (R249) Quercus This witty and romantic tale tells the story of two writers and a second chance at love in the midst of a sultry New York summer. Eva Mercy is a single mother and a best-selling erotica writer who feels pressured from all sides. Shane Hall, a reclusive, enigmatic novelist, arrives unexpectedly in New York. The two meet at a literary event and sparks fly. Old and buried traumas are raised. As well as the eyebrows of some of those present. But what no one knows is that 15 years earlier, teenagers Eva and Shane spent a torrid week together. They cannot deny their chemistry – neither the fact that they’ve been secretly writing to each other through their books over…

THE wheels of justice may turn very slowly, but eventually there is a reckoning, even if many of the perpetrators of apartheid-era crimes have passed on. What is groundbreaking in the court papers that were filed in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria this week by the relatives of the Cradock Four, is that 12 of the 16 respondents are senior apartheid generals, heads of the security branch and members of the Cabinet. While the application is seeking relief from the National Director of Public Prosecutions, the SAPS commissioner and ministers of justice and police (in that it compels the NDPP to make a prosecutorial decision), it lists some of the apartheid regime’s top brass as potential suspects. It has been more than 35 years since the Cradock Four…

AS the country rises from the ashes of wanton destruction, widespread looting and the Covid-19 pandemic, a team of 185 athletes will be flying the South African flag on the world’s premier sports stage in Tokyo, Japan. Natural circumstances have never delayed the start of the Olympics. In the case of Tokyo, the Games were delayed for a year as the world navigated its way through a devastating pandemic, which has already claimed the lives of millions of people around the globe. At today’s opening ceremony, South African flag bearers, swimmer Chad le Clos and women’s hockey goalkeeper Phumelela Mbande, will lead Team SA into battle at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games. For athletes and supporting staff, it will be a celebration of four years of hard work in the…

Only about 950 people, including officials and reporters, will be allowed to watch today’s opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics in the main stadium due to Covid-19 cases, the organising committee said yesterday. Hidemasa Nakamura, the chief of the Tokyo 2020 main operation centre, said that others allowed into the stadium were performers and athletes participating in the event. The Tokyo 2020 organising committee also reported 12 new positive Covid-19 cases related to the Olympics yesterday, with two infected foreign athletes in the athletes village. A total of 87 people associated with the Olympics have so far tested positive for the virus in Tokyo since July 1. In terms of new infections, Nakamura noted it would be “extremely difficult” to get rid of the virus completely, but that they were…

DAKAR: Dangling from umber cliffs that tower over Africa’s westernmost shoreline, a crew of Senegalese climbers hunt for footholds that they say are vanishing. Rock climbing falls behind wrestling, football and surfing as well-loved Senegalese pastimes, but it has bound together a small community of locals and expats who say that their sport is under threat. The issue: coastal erosion caused by a massive construction boom in the capital Dakar where luxury hotels and condominiums are being built close to a once-untouched shoreline, eating away at the land and eroding the well worn climbing routes. Bits of hard cliff are quickly turning into slopes of scree; footholds and places to latch a rope are being lost. “It’s sad, due to the fact that it’s a place where you can get…

ANTANANARIVO: Madagascan police arrested six people on suspicion of plotting to kill the president, after months of investigation, officials said. Andry Rajoelina was sworn in as president of the Indian Ocean island country in 2019 after a hard-fought election and a constitutional court challenge from his rival. “According to the evidence in our possession, these individuals had devised a plan for the elimination and neutralisation of a number of people including the head of state,” the attorney-general said. It added that investigations were under way and further details could not be disclosed. The arrests were made on Tuesday.…

Bangkok: A dozen Thai pro-democracy student activists were charged with royal defamation and sedition yesterday, their lawyers said, over a rally last year that demanded reforms to Thailand’s unassailable monarchy. The pro-democracy movement, which has been largely led by student activists, kicked off a year ago due to public discontent over Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha’s administration. One key protest demand that emerged was monarchy reforms, a once-taboo issue that spilled into public discussion due to the student-led rallies that drew tens of thousands at their peak.…

Pyongyang: The capital city sweltered as state media issued warnings about a heatwave across North Korea. This summer the country has recorded higher-than-average temperatures that are hovering around 35ºC in the capital. Residents strolling Pyongyang’s main streets on Wednesday beat the heat with umbrellas and hand-held fans. Some cooled off by eating a bowl of shaved ice with sweet toppings, a traditional summer dessert. Despite the sizzling climate, everyone sweated it out in masks to prevent the spread of Covid-19.…