Table of contents for 2021-10-22 in Cape Times

Samkelo Mtshali samkelo.thulasizwe@inl.co.za AS political parties jostle for votes ahead of the November 1 local government elections, parties in eThekwini yesterday interacted with some homeless citizens of the city on issues plaguing those living on the streets. Some of the pressing problems facing homeless people in the city, as indicated in the National Homeless Manifesto presented to some of the leaders of the ANC, DA, IFP and Action SA in the city, were shelter, access to health care, access to sanitation and ablution, equal treatment by local law and security forces, and increasing economic opportunities. The meeting was held at the Denis Hurley Centre. Mxolisi Johannes Mavimbela, a representative of the homeless who delivered the manifesto, said that the majority of homeless people wanted to get off the streets by…

Ntombi Nkosi and Chad Williams The Khulumani Support Group, currently camping outside the Constitutional Hill precinct in Johannesburg, wants the government to honour the recommendations made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and handed to Nelson Mandela almost 23 years ago. The national protest, which also saw a similar gathering outside Parliament in Cape Town on Wednesday, saw people sleeping outside Constitutional Hill on Wednesday night. The group wants reparations, of not less than R1 million, to be paid to all victims and survivors of apartheid. They base their quest for reparations on a statement made by Mandela, who was then president, on October 29, 1998, after he received the initial report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). “It is for those who have suffered losses of different kinds…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za ANGRY Western Cape small-scale fishers have rejected the reduction of the rock lobster allocation, saying cutting the total allowable catch (TAC) from 160kg to 35kg as part of the interim relief dispensation for the 2021/2022 season was “unsustainable and unsuitable for supporting the lives and livelihoods of these communities”. Fishers hailing from coastal communities such as Langebaan, Saldanha Bay, Paternoster, St Helena Bay, Arniston and Gansbaai were up in arms, saying the allocation could only yield R6 000 a year or a below the poverty line amount of R500 a month. But the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) stuck to its guns, saying all relevant data required to produce a comprehensive assessment was “collected and analysed” in determining the 2020/21 season allocation and the…

ALLEN Ambor conceived and founded Spur Steak Ranches, in 1967. And with that he started an empire that grew to be more than 500 franchises including the Spur, Panarottis, John Dory’s and RocoMamas brands. | Julian Richfield A TASTE FOR LIFE Allen Ambor Loot.co.za (R225) TAFELBERG His memoir, A Taste for Life, is the story of how the Spur legend was born. You may have thought the book is about the restaurant business and the pioneering days of franchising in this country. You wouldn’t have been wrong, but it is about more than that, the book is a personal and a business journey. In the magnificently written opening chapter, One Night in the Karoo, Ambor tells of a series of events on a road trip and some life-enhancing introspection: “Every…

| Staff Reporter VIRAL Robin Cook Loot.co.za (R245) Macmillan IN VIRAL, an electrifying medical thriller from New York Times best seller Robin Cook, a family’s exposure to a rare yet deadly virus puts them at the centre of a terrifying new danger to mankind – and pulls back the curtain on a health-care system powered by greed and corruption. Brian Murphy and his family are enjoying a relaxing summer vacation when his wife, Emma, comes down with mild flu-like symptoms. Their leisurely return home to New York City quickly turns into a race to the ER when her condition deteriorates. At the hospital, she is diagnosed with Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a rare and highly lethal mosquito-borne viral disease caught during one of their evening cook-outs. Worse still, Brian and…

Lisa Isaacs lisa.isaacs@inl.co.za EIGHT people living illegally in a relative’s property in Kensington for almost five years have been given three months to vacate the home and pay costs in the matter. Western Cape High Court Judge Patrick Gamble said while the cost order may ultimately prove to be ineffectual, given their limited means as many of the illegal occupiers are unemployed, the order should be made nevertheless. This, he added, was to dissuade others who might consider adopting a similar stratagem of obstinate resistance, putting the property owners to considerable expense. On March 29, the high court found that the illegal occupiers were liable to be evicted from Nazeem and Nadia Nelson’s Kensington property. The matter was postponed to July 26, 2021 and the date for eviction held in…

Farouk Araie | Joburg IN COMMEMORATION of the International Day for The Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, humanity must urgently strive to halt the escalating nuclear arms race. North Korea’s testing of a submarine-launched missile and her recent launch of a hypersonic missile and associated hi-tech systems will trigger a nuclear arms race in Asia. As deadly global events unfold, many aspiring nuclear nations will go the nuclear route. Pakistan will probably increase her nuclear might, which could enable her to have the third largest nuclear arsenal. The volatile situation in the Middle East could prompt nations in the area to acquire nuclear weapons. World War II ended with the historic understanding that recourse to war between states could no longer be treated as a matter of national…

Masilakhe “Benni” Ngqebe | Kraaifontein EVERYONE has taken it as given that the City of Cape Town is a well-run metropolitan municipality. But the parameters that are used to measure whether municipalities are well-run, are out of touch with the people and their needs. The favourite parameters are rates collections, unqualified audit reports and favourable newspaper reviews. But this is self-serving. Poor people that are supposed to be receiving their services care less about any of these and they do not have money to pay for services. On the ground, the DA has created two cities within eKapa. The borders between these cities are not physical but economic. We have iKapa for poor people, this is the 1st City. This is defined by poor service delivery. Go to…

Lynn Harding | Noordhoek I OFTEN despair when reading the Cape Times every day, as it seems to always be filled with nothing but stories of death, violence, cruelty, backstabbing and just plain bad news, not only in this country but from all around the world. Overpopulation and lack of education will be South Africa’s downfall, but that’s another story. What pleasure it gave me to read, on page 4 yesterday, of the Elsies River Chess Club, the newly crowned Western Cape A-Division chess champions! It was a story of real inspiration, with three young men aged 16 all winning their games and bringing glory to their club and neighbourhood. We all know that Elsies River is an area where there are tremendous problems with gangsters shooting at…

Lorenzo Samson | Paarl THANK you, Cape Times, for sharing critical, and important news based on facts every day. I’m very happy with the way the editorial message was constructed yesterday. This a beautiful summary in part: “'For leaders to fail to appreciate the frustrations of the majority of this country, which are the results of their empty promises, is disheartening and says a lot about the current crop.” You are a wise person. Thank you for journalism with integrity, without prejudice. Happy Cape Times reader every day.…

THERE is no doubt that South African cricket has recently experienced its most difficult phase in the post-isolation era. And this continues to be the case, as is being witnessed at the Social Justice and Nation Building hearings that resumed this week. As the world struggled with the pandemic that forced big changes on how sport is played, the Proteas faced an added burden of boardroom shenanigans at Cricket South Africa. The organisation was in a mess, and the misdeeds at leadership level had to affect the national team – CSA’s money-spinning machine – adversely. But the show must go on. The Proteas are still expected to represent the country well when they begin their 2021 Twenty20 World Cup campaign against cricket giants Australia in the United Arab Emirates tomorrow.…

A lack of access to vaccines is dampening economic recovery in sub-Saharan Africa and the region will lag behind developed nations for years, the International Monetary Fund said yesterday. Confirming its sub-Saharan Africa growth forecast of 3.7% for the year and 3.8% for next year, the IMF said rising commodity prices and favourable harvests had benefited some countries but “the outlook remains extremely uncertain, and risks are tilted to the downside”. “Much hinged on the trajectory of the pandemic and vaccinations, but disruptions in global activity and financial markets could also derail recovery.” Sub-Saharan Africa’s 2021 projected growth rates mean the region suffered the “slowest recovery in the world”. South Africa is expected to expand by 5.0% this year before growth slows down to 2.2% next year. Rising food…

Netflix employees across the world walked off the job on Wednesday in protest of Dave Chappelle’s latest special, the company’s defence of the comedian and its dismissal of concerns that the content was dangerously transphobic. Dozens gathered outside the streamer’s West Hollywood offices to denounce both Chappelle and the company’s chief executive, Ted Sarandos, who has stood by The Closer after employees, LGBTQ organisations and the platform’s own talent likened the special to hate speech. Some Chappelle supporters also attended the rally, clashing with protesters. | The Washington Post.…

Russia said yesterday it had taken offline a reactor at a nuclear plant in the south of the country after detecting a steam leak, but said radiation levels were normal. State nuclear agency Rosatom operates 38 reactors – mostly built during the Soviet period at 11 nuclear power stations across the country. The second of four reactors at the Rostov Nuclear Power Plant was taken offline yesterday for repairs after a steam leak was detected at around 10pm on Wednesday, said Rosenergoatom, a subsidiary of Rosatom. Rosenergoatom said the leak was due to a welding defect on an 18-millimetre pipe carrying non-radioactive water in the reactor’s steam generator, saying it “posed no danger”. | AFP…

BUCHAREST: Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis nominated retired four-star army general Nicolae Ciuca as prime minister designate yesterday, tasking him with forming a centrist government to end a month-long policy stalemate. “The political crisis must end. Now. Now, we all need to end this crisis, which has gone on for so long, given the pandemic crisis, the dramatic situation of hospitals,” Iohannis said. Ciuca, 54, a Liberal currently serving as Romania’s caretaker defence minister, served in US-led military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has 10 days to draft a Cabinet line-up and seek a parliamentary vote of confidence. | Reuters…

ASHFAK MOHAMED ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za Morne Steyn hung up his Springbok boots this week following an excellent career, in which he scored 742 points in 68 Tests. We took a look at four of his most memorable displays for his country … 27 June 2009: Springboks 28-25 British & Irish Lions After Ruan Pienaar missed a number of goal-kicks, Steyn was belatedly introduced around the hour mark with the score at 19-8 to the Lions. The Boks were dead and buried, but Bryan Habana started the comeback with a try that was converted by Steyn, who slotted a penalty soon after that as well to suddenly make the score 19-18 with 13 minutes to go. Lions flyhalf Stephen Jones replied with a three-pointer of his own, though, and at 22-18, the visitors…

THE boxing fraternity are over the moon following Boxing South Africa's announcement that fans can return to tournaments with immediate effect. Boxing SA, the country's boxing controlling body, said tournament officials will have to provide proof of a negative test, not older than 72 hours, on the day of the weigh-in. Strangely, fans will not be required to provide proof of vaccination or negative tests when entering the venue. They will be required to observe the usual protocols like wearing masks, social distancing, and sanitisation. Gauteng's Manny Fernandes, a former Boxing SA Trainer of the Year award winner, said he was pleased to have sponsors ringside again. "I am super excited that fans can watch boxing again," said Fernandes. "It also means that sponsors and their guests can…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za KUMBA Iron Ore was the latest company yesterday to flag concerns about Transnet’s rail and port challenges, which knocked its production guidance lower. Petrochemicals company Sasol also said yesterday it was facing logistical challenges in transporting export coal due to Transnet Freight and Rail. Chrome and platinum group metals producer, Tharisa Minerals, said last week the South African inland logistics issues had led to longer supply chains and thus increased pricing for products. Yesterday, Kumba said it expected full year production and sales to be at the lower end of its guidance due to Transnet’s rail and port logistics performing below planned levels. Kumba, a unit of Anglo American, said it would limit production in the months ahead and to finish the year at the low…

Baldwin Ndaba baldwin.ndaba@inl.co.za ACTIONSA has asked the full bench of the Electoral Court to postpone the upcoming local government election - where it is contesting in several wards - or force the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) to include its party’s full name on the ballot paper ahead of the November 1 polls. This was the collective view submitted by the party in its court application before the full bench of the Electoral Court sitting in Joburg yesterday, in which it is contesting the IEC’s decision not to include the name ActionSA in their draft ballot paper ahead of the elections. ActionSA, through its national chairperson Michael Beaumont, lodged the court application after failed attempts to persuade the IEC to include the full name ’ActionSA’ in the spot allocated for…

Staff Reporter LOCALISED flooding/flash flooding of susceptible roads, low-lying areas, and bridges including mountain passes can be expected due to heavy downpours predicted for today. Disruptive rainfall can be expected along the Garden Route, in the Central Karoo, Cape Winelands and Overberg (east of Ceres and Robertson), the SA Weather Service has warned. It projects that between 20mm and 30mm of rain, strong gusty winds, severe lightning, and a large amount of small hail can be expected. Localised damage to infrastructure and settlements as well as localised and short-term disruption to essential services can also be expected. “We hope to see the good rains provide some welcome relief in this regard but must warn the public about the high likelihood of severe disruptions due to the severity of the storm,”…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za “BEFORE I die, all I want is a house.” These were the words of 68-year-old Gladys Bruiners and her partner David Bruiners, 67, whose tragedy did not end after they were forcefully removed from their home in Plettenberg Bay almost three decades ago. They are the only ones in their small New Horizon community in the Bitou Municipality who live in a tiny shack on a concrete foundation, while their neighbours have brick houses. Recently the municipality came under the spotlight after manager Lonwabo Ngoqo and community service director Thozamile Sompani, alleged to be at the centre of a “corrupt scheme” involving a R38 million housing contract, were placed on special leave as the municipality conducted an internal investigation into the matter. The move came after it…

Reviewer: | The Washington Post THE SWANK HOTEL Lucy Corin Loot.co.za (R332) Graywolf THE moving and discursive experimental novel from Lucy Corin, The Swank Hotel, tells the story of a young woman named Em whose dull, stable life cannot withstand her anxiety about her sister Ad’s schizophrenia-induced peregrinations. The Swank Hotel takes its title from the fairly luxurious Midwestern hotel where Ad is discovered in distress. Em drives by the establishment and remembers that her sister had once called it “swank.” The word takes deep root in Em’s consciousness. What do we mean when we say “swank”? she seems to be asking, at various points in the book. Since the novel takes place just after the 2008 financial crisis, “swank” seems to stand for a sense of ease that…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za ‘NEGLIGENCE’ was involved in the deadly explosion at Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM), which claimed the lives of eight workers three years ago. This emerged with further witness testimony in the inquiry into the 2018 explosion. Final testimonies will be heard today during the public inquiry by the Department of Employment and Labour to investigate events leading to the incident. The inquiry is being held at the Salt River Community House. Testifying virtually yesterday, retired RDM employee and former explosives manager, Ernest Hodgson said the modification committee, which he also served on, submitted a review for the iris mucon valve which was in use at RDM. However, he told the hearing, the process was incomplete. “There was a request in 2017 for a risk assessment to…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za THE Mbekweni family of slain Siphokazi Booi in Paarl hope to get clarity about whether the man accused of murdering and burning the 27-year-old will indeed appear in the Western Cape High Court. Sithobele Qebe made a brief appearance at the Paarl Magistrate’s Court yesterday, where his case was postponed to December 2 for further investigation. According to Booi’s aunt, Nontando, the court heard that the regional court rejected the case. “On October 4, when the accused was denied bail, we were informed that on his next appearance a date for either the regional court or high court would be given. “Today the case was postponed so that the police can complete their investigation. “We were also informed that the regional court rejected the case due to…

MICHAEL BAGRAIM | Highlands Estate YOUR Tuesday edition story “BBBEE commission cracks the whip” refers: It is cases such as this that show that social engineering is ridiculous. Like apartheid was an aberration, so is the way in which the government is desperately trying to engineer who is African, coloured, Indian or white. We don’t have those pernicious and horrific laws where people had to be slotted into little draws to note their skin colour. Shouldn’t we all be looking forward to the day when people are people and we are not being forced to define what colour our skin is?…

Dan Plato | City of Cape Town mayor WHAT happened in Malibu Village where a toddler was electrocuted due to exposed electricity wires as a result of vandalism is tragic and heartbreaking. This incident happened a week after the City responded to a service request and fixed the same exposed wires, due to vandalism. The City acted on the request in a timeous and careful manner. This is the way the City acts on requests irrespective of the area in the metro that the requests come from. The Good party’s continued political capitalising on this tragedy is in poor taste and exposes the ugly opportunism of the party, using tragedy to continue the misinformation campaign, even though the majority of the party office bearers were part and parcel…

Instead of bemoaning the situation of South African sports people excelling for other countries, we should be celebrating the quality of sporting individuals produced in South Africa. When it comes to South Africans playing for other countries, there are two very different formative identities. One is that of South African-born and the other is that of South Africa-born and raised. For example, former All Blacks flyhalf Andrew Mehrtens was born in Durban, of Kiwi parents, but spent only six months in the Republic before his parents returned to New Zealand, where he was raised. He is all Kiwi. Ditto, the likes of BJ Watling, Glen Phillips and Colin Munro, who excelled in New Zealand cricket. All three left South Africa before the age of 10. They are all raised in…

A high-stakes legal battle between Poland and the EU has escalated into a political crisis, setting off an internecine fight between the bloc’s institutions, as leaders debate withholding billions in EU money over concerns that Warsaw is violating democratic norms. The conflict was supercharged this month when Poland’s top court ruled that the national constitution trumps some EU laws – a direct challenge to the connective tissue of treaties and agreements that holds the 27-member club together. The move has forced EU leaders to once again confront an existential question: How should a bloc built on liberal values respond when one of its members backslides on democracy? “This is a much bigger crisis than the euro crisis, Brexit or the migration crisis, because it undermines the whole foundation of the…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday threatened to expel the ambassadors of the US, Germany and eight other Western countries after they condemned the detention of a civil society leader. Parisian-born philanthropist and activist Osman Kavala, 64, has been in jail without a conviction since 2017, becoming a symbol of Erdogan’s growing intolerance of dissent. The 10 ambassadors issued a joint statement on Monday, saying Kavala’s continued detention “cast a shadow” over Turkey. “I told our foreign minister that we cannot have the luxury of hosting them in our country,” Erdogan said. Kavala has faced a string of alternating charges linked to 2013 anti-government protests and a failed military coup in 2016. In their statement, the US, Germany, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden called…

TRIPOLI: Libyan prime minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah yesterday supported the holding of a national election on December 24 as envisaged in a UN-backed peace plan. Speaking at the Libya Stabilisation Conference in Tripoli, he said it was possible to end the lengthy crisis that has engulfed the country since the Nato-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. “We support the efforts of the higher election committee to hold (the vote) on the planned date. I call for a wide and effective participation of Libyans in the elections,” Dbeibah said. The election, agreed under a UN-supported peace process, has been held up as a key step in efforts to end a decade of violence by creating a new political leadership whose legitimacy is widely accepted. Wrangling over the constitutional basis for…

Melbourne: One of the world’s most locked-down cities was set to reopen late yesterday, with Melbourne residents hoping this sixth bout of stay-at-home restrictions will be their last. Five million people in Australia’s second-biggest city have endured lockdowns totalling more than 260 days since the beginning of the pandemic. But now that 70% of eligible people in Melbourne and surrounding Victoria state are fully vaccinated, restrictions that began on August 5 will be lifted. “When the clock strikes midnight tonight, the lockdown is over,” state Deputy Premier James Merlino said. “I hope everyone enjoys those first reunions with their families, first footy, netball, cricket with the kids, the first pot and parma at the pub.” | AFP…

ZAAHIER ADAMS zaahier.adams@inl.co.za PROTEAS coach Mark Boucher may want to have a word with the T20 World Cup organisers about putting off the scoreboard when Rassie van der Dussen walks to the crease at the upcoming tournament. Van der Dussen stroked a splendid 101 not out off just 51 balls, including 10 fours and four sixes, to spearhead a confidence-boosting run chase on Wednesday against Pakistan as the Proteas hauled in a 187-run target off the last ball in their final warm-up match. The tall right-hander struck two boundaries off the last two balls to get the Proteas over the line. More importantly, though, in the context of the Proteas’ T20 World Cup campaign that starts against Australia in Abu Dhabi tomorrow, Van der Dussen's strike-rate during Wednesday’s innings was…

MIHLALI BALEKA mihlali.baleka@inl.co.za MANQOBA Mngqithi says he’s optimistic that Mamelodi Sundowns will be able to force Maniema Union to commit mistakes when they visit the PSL champions in the second leg of the Champions League second round preliminary qualifiers on Sunday. Last Sunday, the Brazilians started their continental season away to Maniema in the DRC. They ended the match the happier of the two teams after the 2-2 draw, taking a healthy away goal advantage to Tshwane. A favourable result for the Brazilians in the return leg will see them qualify for the group stage for the sixth consecutive season. But Mngqithi, who has been part of this incredible run, knows that won’t come easy against the visitors. He believes that they’ll pose a threat – just like they did…

LINDA Zondi said he was “very upset” when he found out that Khaya Zondo was not in the Proteas starting side for the final One-Day International against India in 2015. That incident has hung over Cricket South Africa’s Social Justice and Nation-Building hearings and been used by many who have testified before the Transformation Ombudsman, Dumisa Ntsebeza as proof of racism at the highest echelons of SA cricket. Zondi, the convenor of selectors at the time, said he had talked to the on-tour selector Hussein Manack and another member of the panel, Ashwell Prince, the night before the match - a decider in that five match series - and it was decided that Zondo would play. Manack told the SJN in August that he deeply regretted not standing up…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za THE PROLONGED metals and engneering sector strike, which has cost the economy more than R600 million, has ended after the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) yesterday announced it would accept a 6.6 percent incremental wage hike over three years from employer organisation the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) General secretary Irvin Jim of Numsa, South Africa’s biggest metalworkers union, said employers, the National Employers Association of South Africa (Neasa) and the Consoli- dated Employers Organisation had to quickly accede to the new wages that would give workers R52.52 per hour in the first year, R55.67 in the second year and R59.01 in year three. Seifsa chief executive Lucio Trentini said the industry had lost more than R600m…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za The family of a wealthy Limpopo businessman, whose four sons were kidnapped on their way to school, are stressed and traumatised as the police intensify their manhunt for the kidnappers. The police in Westenburg outside Polokwane have intensified their operations after the sons of Nazim and Shakira Moti were kidnapped on their way to Curro Heuwelkruin in Dalmada this week. Their sons, Zidan, 6, Zayyad, 11, Alaan, 13, and Zia, 15, were forcefully removed from their scholar transport by a group of about seven suspects armed with rifles on Wednesday morning. The Moti family lawyer, Philip Smit, said yesterday that the family was anxiously playing the waiting game. “The father and mother are very stressed and it’s very traumatic for them. The criminals have not only taken…

GEORGINA Pazcoguin has danced with the New York City Ballet since 2002 and was promoted to soloist in 2013. “Half an hour with her will shake your stereotype of uptight ballerinas to bits.” SWAN DIVE Georgina Pazcoguin Loot.co.za (R379) PICADOR From the title of her new book, Swan Dive, you are alerted that its offering is something different. The legendary Mikhail Baryshnikov said of the book: “Always arresting on stage, Georgina Pazcoguin gives us a take on the ballet world that is witty and from the heart. An eye-opening read.” Her story, told without filter, is both an account of her ballet journey from humble start to centre stage. She also took a break from the NYCB to perform in CATS on Broadway. “I experienced how creativity can be unlocked…

| The Washington Post MY SWEET GIRL Amanda Jayatissa Loot.co.za (R388) Berkley My Sweet Girl is a terrifying and twisty tale laced with secrets and otherworldly horror. The book begins in present-day San Francisco where 30-year-old Paloma Evans, who blacks out when drunk, has just discovered her flat mate, Arun, dead at the kitchen table. Paloma has just returned from the bank where she attempted unsuccessfully to withdraw funds because Arun was blackmailing her. He’d discovered the devastating secret Paloma’s been hiding for 18 years, ever since a white American couple adopted her from an orphanage in Ratmalana, Sri Lanka. More frightening than Arun’s bloody corpse is the horrifying presence Paloma senses in her flat. Paloma has spent years trying to convince herself Mohini isn’t real even though girls…

OWN Correspondent A RESEARCH project focusing on the Maloti-Drakensberg range in the Free State aims to better understand the ecological drivers of range-expanding plant species at high altitudes. It is part of efforts to mitigate the deepening effects of climate change on the environment, with its devastating consequences for communities. It is the first time that such experiments will be undertaken in the alpine context of the Maloti-Drakensberg and this week marked the official launch of the project, with a site visit to the summit of the Maloti-Drakensberg. Here, at 3 100m above sea level, the researchers will seek to determine whether typical range-expanding species might colonise the alpine zone above 2 800m under simulated warmer conditions such as might exist in the not-too-distant future. Titled “RangeX", the project is…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za A CAPE FLATS-born chef who is on a mission to give back is making great strides in his dream of training youngsters into skilled chefs who will inspire others in his community. Keanon Michaels, founder of Keanon’s Kitchen, is aiming to realise his dream of empowering the youth through a cooking school. Michaels, who hails from Strandfontein, said he started cooking at the age of 9. “I was a greedy child. My mom would teach me the basics, like frying an egg because she was tired of constantly cooking for me because I was always complaining that I was too hungry. “So she taught me how to fry an egg, it started there really and it developed into making other foods.” Michaels advanced his career after…

David Wantling | Mowbray WHILE the recent death of a child due to electrocution in Mfuleni is tragic and my heartfelt sympathy goes out to the family, I do have to ask what a 2-year-old child was doing wandering alone in the streets. I find it disingenuous that Brett Heron, of the Good Party, has tried to use this to his political advantage. Either he is not very bright or he has no idea what goes on with the illegal connections and constant cable theft. Or he is just being a typical politician at election time. It must be an almost impossible job for any municipality to keep on top of cable theft and illegal connections. A change of political party controlling the municipality is not going to…

Joe Faddell | Claremont ON OCTOBER 6, our wheelie bin was stolen and I emailed the City council about it. The reply I received said if I didn’t have a response after seven working days, I should call the City council. On Wednesday, I called and spoke to Antoinette who investigated for me and discovered that my case had not been registered. She registered it for me. She was such a pleasure to deal with – her mannerisms and helpfulness was so welcoming to hear. Yesterday, our replacement wheelie bin was delivered. This is what I call service delivery. Thank you City of Cape Town.…

Dane Isaacs and Candice Groenewald OCTOBER 22 is recognised as International Stuttering Awareness Day. Approximately 1% of people worldwide stutter, yet there are many misconceptions about stuttering, especially in South Africa. One of the key misunderstandings about stuttering is that it is a speech challenge or disorder that should be managed or controlled by the person who stutters. However, this individual and deficit perspective fails to recognise the role that society plays in discriminating against people who stutter. For example, research has shown that persons who stutter are typically bullied and victimised at school, discriminated against, excluded from courses at university, and experience difficulty finding employment or being promoted – this because of their stutter. These negative experiences have equally devastating impacts on the emotional and psychological well-being of people…

Will political leaders muster the will to take drastic action? World leaders used to say that we had 20 years to reverse global carbon emissions to avoid global catastrophe, but scientists now fear that our time has run out. Top environmental experts say we are in the final throes of life support for our planet. We have had climate conference after climate conference, but the action taken by governments has been almost negligible. For 27 years world climate conferences have produced very little results, largely owing to the corrupt relationship between major corporations and the political elite, which ensures carbon emissions just keep churning out in the race for profits – from Indonesia to the US to Brazil. Just look at the Amazon – the green lungs of the earth.…

DATA from a Phase III trial demonstrated high efficacy of a booster dose of their Covid-19 vaccine against the virus, including the Delta variant, Pfizer and German partner BioNTech said yesterday. A trial of 10 000 participants aged 16 or older showed 95.6% effectiveness against the diseases, during a period in which the Delta strain was prevalent. The study also found that the booster shot had a favourable safety profile. Pfizer had said its two-shot vaccine’s efficacy drops over time, citing a study that showed 84% effectiveness from a peak of 96% four months after a second dose. Some countries had plans to give booster doses. The drugmakers said the median time between the second dose and the booster shot or the placebo in the study was around 11…

Denmark, Costa Rica, the Marshall Islands and six other countries yesterday urged the world’s biggest economies to hike their climate pledges, warning that their actions would set the tone for the upcoming COP26 summit in Scotland. Extreme weather events and increasingly urgent calls from scientists to curb global warming are cranking up pressure on lawmakers who will meet in Glasgow later this month to discuss action to reduce carbon emissions. “The window for taking decisive climate action is rapidly closing,” said a letter sent to Prime Minister Mario Draghi of Italy, the president of the G20 club of rich nations. G20 leaders will gather in Italy on October 30-31 for a summit. Climate change will be high on the agenda, with divisions deep over the rapid emissions reductions scientists say…

BENI: Suspected Islamist militants killed 16 people and burnt down houses on Wednesday in a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a witness and a civil society leader said. An army spokesperson said yesterday that a combat patrol unit had clashed with the rebels. “All of a sudden we heard gunshots. Our first instinct was to flee. This morning we found 16 bodies, the victims including my eldest son,” said Luc Kakule Messo, a resident of the village of Kalembo, near the city of Beni. Mumbere Meleki Mulala, a co-ordinator of a human rights network, confirmed the death toll and blamed the attack on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan armed group active in the region. | Reuters…

GOHEUNG: South Korea’s first domestically built space rocket blasted off yesterday, but failed to fully place a dummy satellite into orbit, delivering mixed results for a test launch that represents a major leap for the country’s ambitious space plans. The three-stage KSLV-II Nuri “world” rocket blasted off from Naro Space Centre at 5pm. It is designed to put 1.5-ton payloads into orbit 600 to 800km above Earth, as part of a broader effort envisaging the launch of satellites for surveillance, communications, and even lunar probes. President Moon Jae-in, who watched the launch, said the rocket completed its flight sequences but failed to place the test payload into orbit, adding “the ‘Korea Space Age’ is approaching”. | Reuters…