Table of contents for 2021-08-11 in Cape Times

Siyabonga Mkhwanazi siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za OPPOSITION parties have questioned the nomination of former Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, by the ANC, to be Speaker – saying it was a mockery of Parliament. The ANC caucus met yesterday, when the name of Mapisa-Nqakula was announced. The ruling party backed her for the top job in Parliament, but opposition parties would have none of it. Mapisa-Nqakula was axed by President Cyril Ramaphosa during a Cabinet reshuffle on Thursday last week. Former Speaker Thandi Modise was appointed new Defence and Military Veterans minister. The DA, UDM and IFP said the nomination of Mapisa-Nqakula raised questions. The DA said yesterday it would not support Mapisa-Nqakula’s nomination. DA chief whip Natasha Mazzone said this was a mockery of Parliament and the Constitution. “While the ANC seeks to give…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za ENVIRONMENTAL activists working with small-scale fishing communities are calling for the public to comment on appeals against the decision by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) to deny authorisation for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Karpowerships, ahead of the submission deadline in less than two weeks. “Fishing communities have raised several valid concerns about the impacts of Karpowerships on their livelihoods. Firstly, too much of the information that should form part of assessment, and which is required to make an informed and well-rounded decision, was not available. But, even more important, is the fact that key stakeholders, those people who would be most affected by having these powerships park in their bay, were not sufficiently consulted,” the Green Connection’s strategic lead, Liziwe McDaid,…

Staff writer HEALTH authorities in Guinea this week confirmed their first case of the Marburg virus. This is the first time Marburg, a highly infectious disease that causes haemorrhagic fever, has been identified in the country, and in West Africa. Marburg, which is in the same family as the virus that causes Ebola, was detected less than two months after Guinea declared an end to an Ebola outbreak that erupted earlier this year. Samples taken from a now-dead patient and tested by a field laboratory in Gueckedou as well as Guinea’s national haemorrhagic fever laboratory turned out positive for the Marburg virus. Further analysis by the Institut Pasteur in Senegal confirmed the result. The patient had sought treatment at a clinic in the Koundou area of Gueckedou, where a medical…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za THE North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, has concluded hearing evidence in the case in which a baby girl was allegedly brutally abused by her parents. The case was postponed to August 31, when Judge Hennie de Vos will listen to arguments from both the prosecution and the defence regarding judgment. The judge requested both parties to in the meantime hand written submissions to him regarding whether or not the 22-year-old mother and 24-year-old father should be convicted on an array of charges. The now former couple pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm, and child neglect. Both vehemently denied during their evidence that they had ever harmed the child, dubbed Baby T in court as she may not be…

KOERT MEYER THE run-up to, and eventually the dawn of our democratic dispensation, was a poignant period in our history, and explains where we are now. The Codesa talks were preceded by a moratorium placed on executions by former President De Klerk in 1989 in preparation for the eventual abolition of the death penalty. Then came the callous, untimely assassination of Chris Hani, one of the most prominent leaders in the ANC on 10 April 1993, by two blood-thirsty rightwing murderers, Clive Derby-Lewis and Janusz Walus, hastening our first democratic election. They did it to plunge the country into anarchy, hoping it will spark a civil war. At Codesa it was jointly decided by a majority of parties represented that it would be best for our country to abolish…

THE presence of the army in SABC offices should be a cause for concern for all who care about freedom of speech and journalistic independence. It emerged recently that the government had deployed soldiers to the SABC offices in Joburg and Durban as part of a wider army deployment to guard the national key points following the unrest last month. According to reports, the soldiers were seen on the perimeters of the public broadcaster’s newsrooms. This came a week after the SABC board decided to remove a spying clause in the contracts of workers that would allow it to have access to the private communications of staff. The unions at the SABC said the public broadcaster’s management initially denied the army’s presence before making a U-turn and confirming it. Understandably,…

There is optimism that medical officials can contain an outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg virus in the African country of Guinea, where a man recently died of the haemorrhagic fever disease, Robert Steffen, an emeritus professor of epidemiology at the University of Zurich and a frequent adviser to the WHO, said. Health officials in Guinea confirmed one man had died from the disease, which causes headaches, vomiting, and bleeding, the WHO said. Steffen, who has chaired the WHO’s emergency committee on Ebola, said hopes were high that the spread of the virus could be contained, given that contacts of the dead individuals had yet to develop symptoms. “A single patient died on August 2 and his four high-risk close contacts were without any symptoms. A further 145 contacts have been…

NEW YORK: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned on Tuesday following an inquiry that found he sexually harassed 11 women, mounting legal pressure and demands for his departure by US President Joe Biden and others. Cuomo, a Democrat, made the announcement after the results of an independent investigation concluded he groped, kissed or made suggestive comments to women and retaliated against at least one woman who accused him of sexual misconduct. Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat from western New York, will take over as governor. | Reuters…

Beirut: More than half of Lebanon’s migrant workers are in need of “urgent humanitarian assistance” to survive an economic crisis that has plunged most of the population into poverty, the UN warned yesterday. The country of 6 million is in the throes of a financial downturn with the local currency losing more than 90% of its black market value. Currently, 78% of the country’s population live in poverty – far higher than last year’s figure of 55%. Extreme poverty has reached an estimated 36% of the population,. The International Organization for Migration said out of the 210 000 migrant workers living in Lebanon, around 120 000 are now in need of humanitarian assistance. | AFP…

Washington: Google yesterday unveiled a series of online safety measures for children, including a private setting for videos uploaded by teens and safeguard for ads shown to users under 18. The new features affect Google’s YouTube video platform as well its online services such as search and Google Assistant. Google’s “safe search”, which excludes sensitive or mature content, will be the default setting for users under 18, which up to now had been the case only for under-13 users. On YouTube, content from 13- to 17-year-olds will be private by default. Google will also make it easier for families to request removal of a child’s photos. | AFP…

Sihle Mavuso and Zintle Mahlati ONCE again the health of former president Jacob Zuma has cropped up at the Pietermaritzburg High Court, with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) questioning a doctor’s note from the military health services saying he was unwell. The last time Zuma’s health became the subject of a court dispute was in February last year, when he was in Cuba undergoing medical treatment and Judge Dhaya Pillay had to issue a warrant of arrest. Yesterday Zuma was supposed to be in the high court with his lawyers to argue why the NPA’s top prosecutor, advocate Billy Downer SC, should not lead his prosecution for alleged corruption during the arms deal. But Zuma could not make it as he was still undergoing medical checks with the military health services…

METHOD INGREDIENTS For the pastry 2 cups of self-raising flour 1 tsp of baking powder 150ml castor sugar Pinch of salt About ½ cup of cubed butter 3 egg yolks A splash of cold water For the filling 2 large egg whites 1 cup of sugar 1 tsp of vanilla essence 2 cups of desiccated coconut 150ml apricot jam Preheat oven to 180°C and grease a muffin baking tin. Sieve the flour, baking powder, castor sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until crumbly. Add the egg yolks and water, mix and put the dough on a clean, floured surface. Knead the dough until smooth. Pop it back into the mixing bowl, cover with cling wrap and leave to rest…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za MURDER-accused Teshwill van der Rheede, 32, abandoned his bail application in the Bredasdorp Magistrate’s Court yesterday where he faces murder, housebreaking and theft charges. Van der Rheede is accused of murdering Charlene October, 49, in her Elim home on July 12. It is alleged that he entered her home after robbing a tuck shop on her premises and allegedly murdered her while sparing the life of October’s 1-month-old granddaughter. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the matter had been postponed to September 13 for further investigation. In addition to the murder charge, Van der Rheede also faces charges in a non-related alleged rape matter and family violence interdict, Ntabazalila previously said. Yesterday, residents and family staged a picket outside the court, calling for bail not to…

Okuhle HlatI okhule.hlati@inl.co.za WHILE the Red and Blue Dot Taxi initiatives are a step towards the long-term goal of a formalised industry, calls have been made for fairness in the allocation of vehicles on routes to avoid violent tensions rising again in the taxi industry. Members of the standing committee of transport and public works submitted this advice to the provincial transport department yesterday after they presented updates on the initiatives and the status of the arbitration process of the closed B97 route. The chief director for transport regulation, Yasir Ahmed, said the first round of the arbitration had been concluded and the next hearing was expected to resume on August 14. “This will likely also go to court for a declarator so that the decision that is made by…

Hydra-headed threat looms amid Electoral Commission’s bid to postpone elections A MERE 12 weeks before the local government elections, the clouds have darkened like a gathering storm over the Electoral Commission’s strategy to seek a postponement at all costs. It’s apparently a sure touch in steering the country through another democratic and peaceful transfer of power at municipal government level – but success of the electoral processes has begun to look more conditional. The commission’s political vulnerability, in the eyes of election candidates, legislative bodies and public, is more apparent now than at any time since its inception. This comes after it filed, after a long hesitation, an application with the Constitutional Court to postpone the elections to February; prompted by the findings of an inquiry by retired Deputy Chief…

Volunteers and firefighters worked round-the-clock yesterday, often without masks or helmets, in a desperate bid to stop a violent blaze from reaching a town on Greece’s Evia island, one of hundreds of fires that have raged through the country. Nearly 900 firefighters, reinforced overnight with fresh arrivals from abroad, were deployed on the country’s second largest island as major towns and resorts remained under threat from a fire that has been burning for eight days. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis apologised to the nation, saying more than 580 fires had broken out in recent days around the country, exposing Greece to a “natural fury without precedent”. Unprecedented weather disasters bulked up by climate change have swept the world this summer, with a landmark UN assessment published Monday warning the world is…

Six EU member states have warned the bloc’s executive against halting deportations of rejected Afghan asylum-seekers arriving in Europe despite major advances of Taliban militants in their country. The Taliban, fighting to reimpose strict Islamic law after their 2001 ouster, have made sweeping gains in their campaign to defeat the government as US-led foreign forces pull out. “Stopping returns sends the wrong signal and is likely to motivate even more Afghan citizens to leave their home for the EU,” Austria, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece and Germany said in an August 5 letter to the European Commission. Many EU member states are nervous that developments in Afghanistan could trigger a replay of Europe’s 2015/16 migration crisis when the chaotic arrival of more than a million people from the Middle East…

STOCKHOLM: Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg, 18, accused the fashion industry of “pure green washing” and said that in today’s world, fashion could not be mass produced or consumed sustainably; she believed the industry was crying for for systemic change. Thunberg has been photographed for the front page of the maiden issue of Vogue Scandinavia. Vogue Scandinavia said that the 18-year-old shared the magazine’s values about sustainable living and environmental protection. It also said that all the clothes that Greta Thunberg wore in the photo shoot were made of durable, recycled materials. However, the climate activist herself said: “Many are making it look as if the fashion industry is starting to take responsibility…This is almost never anything but pure green washing. You cannot mass produce fashion or consume ‘sustainably’ as…

WASHINGTON: The US said yesterday it was giving Myanmar more than $50 million (about R741m) in aid as surging Covid-19 infections worsened a humanitarian crisis in a country already reeling after generals overthrew a democratically elected government earlier this year. It is also providing Thailand with $5m to cope with Covid-19, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement. US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, announced the funding during a visit to Thailand, he added. In Myanmar, the US funding will aid “those forced to flee violence and persecution” and help groups provide health services. | Reuters…

Herman Gibbs herman.gibbs@africannewsagency.com SUPERSPORT United FC coach Kaitano Tembo has raised fears that players could well be in pre-season mode rather than be match-fit, ready and raring to go when the new season kicks off with a MTN8 quarter-final clash on Saturday. Tembo, the 51-year-old former Zimbabwean defender, said the club’s pre-season preparations were hamstrung by the absence of several players who were away on national team duty. “It was tough when we first convened at the start of the pre-season,” said Tembo, who is serving a second stint as the head coach of SuperSport United. “The problem was that we did not have a full complement of players because some were representing their countries at the Olympic Games, and others were on Cosafa Cup duty. Many players only joined…

Manufacturing sector gains ground at slower rate off a low base and civil unrest Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za MANUFACTURING production in South Africa is expected to continue growing well into the second half of the year from last year’s significant slump, albeit at a slower rate due to recent civil unrest. Data from Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday showed manu- facturing production increased by 12.5 percent year-on-year in June from a year ago, lower than the 15 percent consensus. This followed an upwardly revised 36.3 percent jump in May. This was the fourth consecutive month of rising industrial activity, although at a much softer pace than a month before due to base effects from last year’s Covid-induced decline. The largest positive contributions came from motor vehicles, basic iron…

Thobile Mazibuko thobile.mazibuko@inl.co.za It’s true when they say things get better with time. When I first heard of Nikiwe Dlova, it was at the Black Hair Matters Exhibition at the Eyethu Art Space in 2018. I was fascinated by the hair extensions she created on a drawing. I then followed her work and bumped into her a couple of times, but it was in March last year, when I finally got to be styled by her. I still had locks then, and she had a stall at the Beauty Revolution with Stylin’. She was exactly the person I anticipated, so bubbly and super cool. To watch her grow into being one of the best hair creatives in Mzansi is beautiful. She’s done stunning hairpieces for well-known artists such as Busiswa,…

Kailene Pillay kailene.pillay@inl.co.za President Cyril Ramaphosa’s appearance at the state capture inquiry today will mark the culmination of three years of oral evidence heard by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo. Ramaphosa is expected to give evidence and be questioned on matters falling within the terms of reference of the commission of inquiry, including ANC matters and testimony related to his terms as president and deputy president. The commission has set aside today and tomorrow for the president to complete his evidence as ANC leader. He will then move on to his role as former deputy president, and as the current head of state. Ramaphosa was due back at the inquiry in May, but his appearance was postponed when Justice Zondo announced that the lifespan of the inquiry had been extended.…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za THE Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance in SA (Saapa) and South Africans against Drink Driving (Sadd) have called for an immediate halt to the issuing of liquor licences to retailers at petrol stations. This follows the announcement made by BP on June 17 that they would become the first petrol station with a wine to-go offer through the Pick n Pay Express forecourt convenience store, after being issued a licence to trade. In a statement, Saapa said they were concerned about the announcement of the supermarket chain outlet attached to a petrol station in Johannesburg being awarded a liquor licence. ’’Saapa calls on all provincial liquor authorities to implement an immediate moratorium on the awarding of all such licences”. Sadd has since started a petition calling on…

Siphokazi Vuso and Odwa Mkentane A TEENAGER who wanted to file a rape complaint with Makhanda police in the Eastern Cape was allegedly turned away by the officer on duty who apparently refused to open the locked gate and told the girl to call their offices. The 16-year-old was rushed to the Grahamstown police station in the centre of town following her rape ordeal on Friday night when the police officer is said to have refused to unlock the gate to let her in. She was told to go home and call the police, which she did, and a police van duly took her to Settlers Hospital for a rape kit. The rape survivor and her family said they were shocked when they found out the next day that…

Staff writer A TEAM of 109 South African firefighters and management have been deployed to Canada to assist with firefighting efforts in that country. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s Working on Fire (WoF) programme yesterday evening deployed the local firefighters and management to the province of Manitoba in Canada. Canada has been experiencing record-breaking heat and associated dry weather. Large wild fires are burning in Manitoba, and extreme fire danger exists across the western provinces, with little relief in sight and new wild fires expected. This is the fourth deployment of firefighters to Canada. “I would like to extend my good wishes to the Working on Fire team as you embark on your fourth deployment to Canada to assist in bringing the fires currently raging across Manitoba…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za THE man accused of the rape of Reverend June Dolley-Major gave public testimony at the Diocesan Tribunal yesterday, and maintained his innocence. The accused, who lent himself to the Western Cape High Court to get a interdict against being named publicly, yesterday said the allegations against him have “hurt many people” and had been a traumatising experience. The accused, who served alongside Dolley-Major in the Lansdowne Anglican parish nearly two decades ago, vehemently denied the allegations. Leading testimony yesterday and representing the accused, Lynette Myburgh asked him about the allegations of having raped Dolley-Major in 2002. “She alleges you raped her,” Myburg submitted. “No, never. I’ve been sitting here and listening to this over the past few days. It’s heartbreaking that somebody would come to this forum…

Odwa Mkentane odwa.mkentane@inl.co.za NEARLY a month after the killing of his colleague, Khayelitsha ANC ward 93 councillor Thando Pimpi and his family narrowly escaped death when unknown suspects attacked his house. The incident last Friday happened as the ANC mourned the death of councillor Nokuthula Bolitye, who was shot dead outside her home in Crossroads, on July 12, in a second attack. The 50-year-old Bolitye was seated in a minibus taxi in front of her home when three men approached the vehicle and fired numerous gunshots, in Gqoloma Street, Crossroads, near Nyanga. Last year, Bolitye was shot in the leg and stomach, while her son was shot in the back, after two men broke into their home. Pimpi told the Cape Times yesterday that he was about to go to…

Heroes in Zimbabwe died for nothing as many Zimbabweans live in a foreign land. It is painful and depressing to note that those Zimbabwean war liberators who died fighting for the independence and prosperity of Zimbabwe wasted their efforts as Zimbabwe is continuously decaying in all sectors of the economy. There is nothing to put smiles on Zimbabweans who have left their home country for other countries such as South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and UK in search of better living conditions. Extreme poverty and unemployment are both endemic in Zimbabwe, driven by the shrinking economy and hyper-inflation. Widespread poverty and violence including government violence to stifle political opposition have massively diluted investor confidence. Countries with the biggest Zimbabwean migrants include South Africa, the UK, Australia, Canada and the US.…

Britain’s Prince Andrew is being sued in a New York court by a woman who alleged that he sexually assaulted and battered her two decades ago when she was 17 years old. Virginia Giuffre, who says she was trafficked for sex by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, filed a civil complaint against Andrew, Queen Elizabeth’s second son, in the US District Court in Manhattan. A spokesperson for Andrew, Duke of York, declined comment. “Prince Andrew forced Plaintiff, a child, to have sexual intercourse against her will,” according to the complaint by Giuffre, who was previously known as Virginia Roberts. The prince said in a 2019 interview with the BBC that he had no recollection of meeting Giuffre, and denied her claim of sexual abuse. Andrew, 61, is one of the…

Authorities in northern Germany appealed to thousands of people yesterday to get another shot of Covid-19 vaccine after a police investigation found that a Red Cross nurse may have injected them with a saline solution. The nurse is suspected of injecting salt solution into people’s arms instead of genuine doses at a vaccination centre in Friesland, a rural district near the North Sea coast, in the early spring. “I am totally shocked,” Sven Ambrosy, a councillor, said on Facebook as local authorities issued the call to about 8 600 residents who may have been affected. Saline solution is harmless but most people who got vaccinated in March and April, when the suspected switch took place, are elderly people at high risk of catching Covid-19. The motive was not clear but…

ADDIS ABABA: The office of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urged “all capable Ethiopians” to join the army, special forces and militias to support the fight against Tigrayan forces. The statement came six weeks after the government declared a ceasefire in the region of Tigray. War broke out in November between federal troops and forces from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which ruled Ethiopia for three decades and now controls Tigray. “It has become apparent that Tigrayan farmers will not be able to farm safely unless the people of Tigray are forever separated from the terrorist group,” the prime minister’s office said yesterday. | Reuters…

Berlin: German train drivers voted to go on strike from yesterday over a wage dispute, their union said, in a blow for summer vacationers and adding to logistics and supply woes already plaguing the industry. The walkout will affect cargo trains before extending to passenger traffic, said the leader of the train drivers’ GDL union, Claus Weselsky. Weselsky accused Deutsche Bahn managers of “lining their pockets while the little guys are getting their pockets picked.” The strike marked a new setback at the height of the summer vacation season for the travel industry, only now starting to recover now after months of coronavirus-linked shutdowns.. | AFP…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za Golden Arrows coach Lehlohonolo Seema is both excited and humbled as his side prepares to kick-off their 2021/22 season with an MTN8 clash against SuperSport United at the Princess Magogo Stadium in Durban on Saturday. There will be heavy expectations on Seema to continue Abfana Bes’thende’s good form from last season, which saw the club finish fourth in the league and narrowly miss out on a place in the CAF Confederation Cup. It remains to be seen, however, if Seema will be able to replicate the type of performances that Mandla Ncikazi orchestrated as Arrows mentor last season. Ncikazi has since left the Kwa-Zulu Natal-based club and is now part of the Orlando Pirates technical team. “We have been preparing well, and not only for SuperSport, but…

Six-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi received a hero’s welcome after flying to France yesterday to join Paris Saint Germain (PSG) following his shock departure from Barcelona. The agreement to sign the 34-year-old Argentine is a major coup for wealthy PSG, who will add one of the best soccer players of all time to an already formidable front line that includes Brazil’s Neymar and young Frenchman Kylian Mbappe. Wearing a T-shirt that read “This is Paris,” Messi beamed and waved at scores of fans who had come to greet him at Le Bourget airport on the outskirts of the French capital after his flight from Barcelona. Chanting “Messi, Messi, Messi,” the fans cheered and let off firecrackers. “It’s going to be mad. After all, it’s a legend who is arriving,”…

Mike Greenaway mike.greenaway@inl.co.za THE world champions Springboks begin the defence of their Rugby Championship crown this week against Argentina, and coach Jacques Nienaber is adamant that there is nothing “boring” about how his team go about their job. In the wake of the Boks’ 2-1 series triumph over the British & Irish Lions, there has been worldwide criticism of the Boks’ style of play, with All Black coach Ian Foster among that number. Foster said watching the Boks play the Lions had “put him to sleep.” But Nienaber said the rugby world would in fact be a boring place if everybody played in the same manner. “That’s the beauty of rugby. There are different styles. It would be unbelievably boring if everybody played the same,” Nienaber said. “Different styles mean…