Table of contents for 2021-12-09 in Cape Times

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za HARRY Smit, from Retail Active Shareholder Holdings, said yesterday that Tongaat Hulett’s shareholders were likely to face a massive dilution of up to two-thirds of their share value through the sugar and property groups’ proposed rights issue of up to R4 billion. Smit, who recently managed to assemble enough shareholder support to prevent a potentially dilutive rights issue at Ascendis Health, said Tongaat, like Ascendis, had a large number of small shareholders, “guys with 500 to 600 shares”. He said the dilution, depending on the share ratios of the rights issue, would be of such magnitude, it would likely prevent minority shareholders from being able to follow their rights in the capital raise, not to mention the value dilution. Tongaat’s market capitalisation stood at R767.4…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za PUBLIC participation group DearSA is the latest organisation to publicly announce its plans for legal action against mandatory vaccines. This follows National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) calls for the implementation of mandatory vaccinations in workplaces. Nedlac had conceded that a declarator by the Constitutional Court may be required in order to obtain legal certainty on the issue. The development had had many up in arms, DearSA said, citing a lack of public participation. DearSA’s Gideon Joubert said at this stage they were waiting for a full legal brief from their legal team. “We are hoping to get this in the next day or two. Then we will take things from there. “We will in all likelihood start in the High Court and move to the…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za THE families of the Cradock Four are expected to meet with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the North Gauteng High Court next week after deciding to go ahead with litigation. The NPA had stated earlier this year that a decision on whether to prosecute those behind the murders of the Cradock Four would be made on December 2. However, briefing the Portfolio Committee on Justice yesterday, National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Shamila Batohi said the deadline was missed due to the need for further investigation. “The prosecutors handed over a docket to lawyers representing the families. They identified a lot of issues that required investigation. It became clear that the NPA was not going to meet the deadline they committed to,” she said. Batohi aexplained…

Staff writer GRANDWEST officially comes of age this month and will celebrate with 90 minutes of singing and dancing with award-winning entertainer Emo Adams and the Take Note band at the Roxy Revue Bar. The Grand Show will encapsulate 21 years of GrandWest magic in 21 shows run over 21 days from December 15 to January 9. Describing the new show, Adams said: “I’m really excited about this extravaganza. It will be my first time back on stage with the Take Note band in five years, so you can expect we are going bring a lekker jol with hits, energy, jokes and a few surprises. It’s the perfect way to end this crazy year.” The audience will recognise some familiar faces in the band, led by bass player and…

Odwa Mkentane odwa.mkentane@inl.co.za KHAYELITSHA residents were left shocked after a brutal vigilante attack in which a man was allegedly forced to drink battery acid and assaulted. According to residents, the victim, from Site B, was attacked by a mob while walking at about 1am on Tuesday. He had been accused of stealing a sound system and car battery. Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said the victim was found with stab wounds on the face and in the head, and was declared dead on the scene. “The circumstances surrounding the death of an unknown male in Site B, Khayelitsha, are under investigation. Khayelitsha police were called to the crime scene where they found the victim with wounds to his face and head,” said Twigg. A resident who asked not to be named…

Staff writer REPRESENTING close to 2 600 South African wine producers, cellars and industry stakeholders, Vinpro says it is extremely disappointed in the Western Cape High Court ruling in the case in which the wine industry body disputed the government’s approach to restrictions on liquor trade within the Disaster Management Act. The three points argued during Vinpro’s court case, heard from August 23–25, included Vinpro’s argument regarding the structure of government, an interim application asking to take evidence regarding the third wave into account, as well as the issue of mootness since the ban had been partially lifted at the time. The court, however, refused Vinpro’s application to introduce new evidence, found the application was moot, as the regulations had since changed, dismissed the structure of government argument, and…

Lawmakers elected Social Democrat Olaf Scholz as German chancellor yesterday, ending 16 years of conservative rule under Angela Merkel and paving the way for a pro-European coalition government that has promised to boost green investment. Scholz, 63, who served as vice-chancellor and finance minister in coalition with Merkel, got a clear majority of 395 votes in the Bundestag lower house of parliament, Bundestag President Baerbel Bas said. Scholz, wearing a black mask, waved as he received a standing ovation from lawmakers and was given bouquets of flowers and a basket of apples from the leaders of the parliamentary groups. Sticking to the democratic procedures enshrined in Germany’s Basic Law, Scholz was formally nominated by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in the nearby Bellevue Palace before returning to parliament to take the oath…

The Omicron variant has been reported in 57 nations and the number of patients needing hospitalisation is likely to rise as it spreads, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. The WHO, in its weekly epidemiological report, said more data was needed to assess the severity of disease caused by the Omicron variant and whether its mutations might reduce protection from vaccine-derived immunity. “Even if the severity is equal or potentially even lower than for Delta variant, it is expected that hospitalisations will increase if more people become infected and that there will be a time lag between an increase in the incidence of cases and an increase in the incidence of deaths,” it said. The number of reported Covid-19 cases in South Africa doubled in the week to December…

PUTRAJAYA: Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak failed yesterday in his bid to overturn the guilty verdict in a case related to SRC International, a former unit of state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad. Razak, 68, has been sentenced to an effective 12 years’ imprisonment and a fined 210 million-ringgit (around R780m) for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering. “The court rules that the prosecution has successfully proven all seven charges of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering,” Judge Abdul Karim said. The decision by the three judges was unanimous.…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za HAVING Malusi Siboto, Duanne Olivier, Lutho Sipamla and Sisanda Magala to practise against has greatly aided Ryan Rickelton’s development as a batter this season. There was a lot of work Rickelton had to do himself of course, but it was useful to gauge how well his off-season work functioned, by putting himself up against the most fearsome quartet of bowlers on the domestic circuit. “We usually get good spicy wickets at the Wanderers nets, and obviously you ask the guys to take the newest balls they can get, and we have a proper contest,” Rickelton said yesterday. “I know if I’m holding my own against them, not getting out, and playing good shots against them, it’s a good sign for me.” Rickelton’s the 10th highest run-scorer…

Mihlali Baleka mihlali.baleka@inl.co.za MAMELODI SUNDOWNS (1)(3) Kutumela 6’, Shalulile 65, 72’ ROYAL AM (0)(2) Letsoalo 81’, (p) 90+1’ CHAMPIONS Mamelodi Sundowns are an epitome of flamboyance – on and off the pitch. That much was established through their 3-2 victory over a side that has been threatening that status, Royal AM, at home yesterday afternoon. Owned by businesswoman Shauwn Mkhize, Royal AM have been attracting attention in the top flight for all sorts of reasons, including ‘paying cash bonuses on the pitch’. But the classy and formal Sundowns have been doing what they know best: winning. They top the standings with 34 points, 10 ahead of second-placed Sekhukhune United. Royal AM are fourth with 22 points after losing a match that more or less highlighted a margin between…

ESHLIN VEDAN eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za AMAZULU were consigned to a fifth consecutive draw and 10th of the season as Orlando Pirates held them to a 1-1 stalemate at the Kings Park yesterday. Deon Hotto gave Pirates the lead just before the half-hour mark. The Namibian’s goal came after his team moved the ball swiftly, taking advantage of the midfield weakness in the Usuthu team created by the absence of captain Makhehlene Makhaula. Hotto then hit the ball hard and low, beyond the reach of AmaZulu goalkeeper Veli Mothwa. AmaZulu equalised on the stroke of halftime as a cross found its way to Luvuyo Memela who produced good control to send the ball into the bath of Tshepang Moremi with his chest. Moremi ended up thumping the ball into the back of the…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) has remained circumspect, at least for now, on the issue of mandatory Covid-19 vaccination in the workplace after business confidence waned in November. Sacci’s Business Confidence Index released yesterday fell to 92.8 points in November from 94.9 points in October, upsetting the recovery seen after the July unrest. The business lobby organisation said the new Omicron variant and restrictions among major trading partners had led to a slump in both exports and imports in November. To protect economic recovery, Sacci said it remained important how the Covid-19 pandemic was managed and communicated, but it concurred that improved vaccine application had led to a sense of return to economic and business normality. Sacci chief executive Alan Mukoki, however,…

Staff WRITER SOUTH Africa is second on the list of a study which shows that the influence of alcohol increases rates of intimate partner violence. The study was by conducted by Dr Leane Ramsoomar-Hariparsaad of the South African Medical Research Council and Aadielah Diedericks of the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance in four southern African countries – Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. The review found that in South Africa there was a 31% prevalence of alcohol use and 26% prevalence of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). It also found 59% of heavy episodic drinking in the country. The country with the highest alcohol prevalence, the study found, was Botswana with 32%. Namibia had 30%, and Zimbabwe had the least alcohol prevalence of 18%. As the 16 Days of…

Siyabonga Mkhwanazi siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za | POLITICAL BUREAU Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke has lifted the lid on the R166.85 billion irregular expenditure in various departments and entities, which threatens to blow up the fiscus. Maluleke said if this was not controlled it could be a threat to the public purse. Maluleke yesterday told Parliament’s joint committees on public accounts and the standing committee on the auditor-general that this was an increase from R109.8bn last year to a staggering R166.85bn this year. She said they needed to ensure this massive irregular expenditure was reined in. “Such expenditure, especially as it relates to procurement, is an indication that auditees do not follow supply chain laws and regulations when making decisions,” said Maluleke. She said out of 425 departments and entities that were audited, only 115…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za NATIONAL Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) recipients at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) are up in arms after some said they only received a fraction of the allowances they were promised. These students were late applicants and were initially told their allowances would be back-paid from March. However, some students said they only received three months’ allowances. Apart from the cost of tuition, NSFAS was authorised to provide qualified students with R7 500 for transport up to 40 km from institution, R15 000 as a living allowance, a book allowance of R5 200 and an annual personal care allowance of R2 900 for students in catered residences. Journalism student Tamryn Christians said: “We are extremely disappointed and confused as to how this happened.…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za A MAN who was arrested out of the blue on unsubstantiated accusations that he was a woman abuser has been awarded R350 000 in damages. He had to spend 26 days in what he called filthy, flea-infested holding cells before he was cleared of any wrongdoing, The Johannesburg High Court ordered the SAPS to pay the damages to Vincent Mathiso following his harrowing ordeal. Asked by the court during his evidence how much damages he was claiming, Mathiso told the judge that “R100 000 is sufficient so that I can take my children to school”. This was after his lawyers had instituted a claim on his behalf for R950 000. The court, however, decided that he was entitled to R350 000, especially given the fact that as…

MINISTER of Arts, Sports, Culture and Recreation, Nathi Mthethwa, and his officials need to explain why netball in the country is so severely underfunded that two Eastern Cape teams were forced to travel by bus to Cape Town, which overturned, killing three young players and a coach. His department was able to cough up at least R1m for actress Natasha Thahane’s studies in the US for a semester, after she asked her “mama” and former speaker Baleka Mbete for help. His department still remains mum about where this money came from and how others in need can get access to such funding. The point, however, is that sending condolences to the families of coach Nocamagu Mvunyiswa and players Phelo Charles, Indiphile Mfengu and Thabisile Maxikikata does very little to console…

Kabul: From Taliban-controlled Kabul, Radio Begum is broadcasting the voices of women that have been muted across Afghanistan. Station staff fill the airwaves with programming for women, by women: educational shows, book readings and call-in counselling. For now, they operate with the permission of the hardline Islamists who regained power in August and have limited the ability for women to work and girls to attend school. “We’re not giving up,” pledged 48-year-old Hamida Aman, the station’s founder, who grew up in Switzerland after her family fled Afghanistan a few years after the Soviet Union invaded. “We have to show that we don’t need to be scared,” said Aman, who returned after the ousting of the Taliban’s first regime in 2001 by US-led foreign forces. “We must occupy the public sphere.”…

Majuro (Marshall Islands): Island nations in the South Pacific were cleaning up yesterday after storms and tidal surges triggered widespread flooding, with rising seas caused by climate change blamed for the inundation. The Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands and Federated States of Micronesia all reported flooding, and remote parts of Vanuatu were also hit by rising waters. In Majuro, sea water surged over boulder barriers and covered sections of road to the airport. The Pacific’s low-lying islands are among the countries worst affected by climate change, with some at risk of being swamped entirely by rising seas.…

Colombo: The wreck of a chemical ship that caught fire off the Sri Lankan coast and caused environmental carnage will be removed, the operators said yesterday. A salvage company has been contracted to remove the sunken MV X-Press Pearl and the remains of its cargo. “The wreck removal plan will ensure a complete removal and safe, proper disposal of the wreck and any debris and pollutants around the wreck,” X-Press Feeders said. Hundreds of tons of chemicals and plastics leaked from the ship after it caught fire in May off Colombo and burned for two weeks before sinking.…

HERMAN GIBBS herman.gibbs@gmail.com WESTERN Cape overshadowed the Eastern Province teams on day three of the National Netball Championships at the DF Academy in Bellville yesterday. The unbeaten Cape Winelands A defeated the strong Nelson Mandela Bay outfit 60-48 in the A-Section pipe-opener. The Winelands side were off to a cracking start and dictated the course of play from the opening quarter in which they secured a seven-goal (15-8) lead. From that point onwards, Cape Winelands A stepped up the intensity, and with each passing quarter, except for the final one, widened the margin for a 46-33 lead ahead of the final quarter. Nelson Mandela Bay closed strongly, but the Cape Winelands A had built up an unassailable lead to secure their position as the A-Section log-leaders. Later in the day,…

Stellenbosch FC 0 SuperSport United 1 (Grobler 91) BRADLEY Grobler broke Stellenbosch FC’s hearts right at the death when the veteran striker scored a late winner for the visitors at Danie Craven Stadium last night. In a match where both teams were unable to take a firm grip on proceedings, and were unable to create clear-cut chances throughout, Grobler popped up in the 91st minute with the solitary goal. The 33-year-old was incisive with his finish as he steered a low shot past Sage Stephens in the Stellies goal. Although the goal came in stoppage time, SuperSport had the more productive passages of play with former Stellenbosch winger Iqraam Rayners arguably the best player on display in the match. The now SuperSport star enjoyed a splendid return to…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za IMPALA Platinum (Implats) has upped the ante by increasing its stake in Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat) to 32.26 percent as it battles it out with Northam Platinum for the control of RBPlat. Implats said yesterday it had acquired a further 942 000 shares constituting 0.33 percent in RBPlat shares and planned to raise its shareholding even further through off-market purchases. “Implats may be acquiring further RBPlat shares after the date of this announcement while the offer remains open and, if required under the Companies Act or the Takeover Regulations, will make further disclosures and announcements in that regard,” said Implats. Implats, the JSE-listed platinum group metals producer, is in an intense bidding war with Northam Platinum. Northam announced on Tuesday that it had pushed…

Odwa Mkentane odwa.mkentane@inl.co.za LIQUOR traders marched to the Civic Centre yesterday to hand over a memorandum over issues including expensive fees charged by the City, unfair trading hours, interpretation of entertainment by-laws, business licences and alleged harassment by law enforcement. Western Cape Liquor Traders Organisation (WCLTO) spokesperson Lefa Mapilo said the City was closing down their businesses while flooding chain stores in the townships. “During the lockdown they were busy amending the liquor act of the Western Cape and one of the things that makes it difficult for liquor traders now is zoning. “When talking about zoning, we are talking about the land use because for us to be in the township it was not by choice, it was by force. We have a high rate of unemployment, we have…

Okuhle Hlati and Nicola Daniels THE country’s fight against Covid-19 reached another milestone yesterday when the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) approved a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine for children and adults. The move comes on the back of a recent study which found that a booster could be more effective in protecting against the Omicron variant, first reported by South African scientists. Laboratory research from the Africa Health Research Institute also suggests that the Omicron variant partially escapes antibody immunity induced only by the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, but that considerable immunity is retained in people who were both vaccinated and previously infected. Sahpra had initially approved the use of Pfizer’s Comirnaty®️ Covid-19 vaccine on March 16, 2021. On November 17, Sahpra said it received an application from…

Staff writer THE SA Revenue Service (Sars) welcomed the 10-year sentence handed down to Gupta-owned Oakbay Trading director DP Naik for fraud and contravening the Customs and Excise Act. Sars commissioner Edward Kieswetter said so after Naik falsified export documents and diverted cigarettes back into the local market without paying the excise and duties for import and export. According to evidence presented in the Johannesburg Regional Court, the total prejudice to Sars was R18 million. Naik claimed the company had exported cigarettes to Zambia. The exports were investigated and proven to be false exports, Sars said. “This crime was committed to evade duties and excise payable on the cigarettes,” Sars said. Naik was convicted on five counts of fraud and for contravening the Act. “Sars has repeatedly said the organisation…

Staff writer THE SA Revenue Service (Sars) has cautioned the public to be aware of fraudsters as a number of incidents where fraudulent or unauthorised changes of tax practitioners and/or taxpayers’ eFiling profiles have been made with the sole intention to defraud Sars and affected taxpayers. Sars said the fraudulent activities were carried out by individuals who gained access to eFiling profiles through phishing or other “nefarious scams” to change a legitimate taxpayer’s bank details to divert refunds. These individuals also submit fraudulent tax returns to generate refunds. “Sars takes all necessary steps to mitigate security breaches of our information systems and there is no evidence of the Sars systems being hacked, instead they remain secure. “In the past week, several changes were implemented to augment the integrity of…

DECEMBER 5 this year marked eight years since the death of the father of our democracy, world-renowned leader uTata Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. Mandela stood steadfastly for the right of all people to self-determine. This self-determination in a democratic context was one that appreciated that things, concepts and politics are not homogeneous, and that the application of all progressive concepts should be applied relative to the national conditions we face. One of the terms most synonymous with the post-apartheid state is the word “democracy”. Our country is lauded and revered as a bastion of hope and as upholding the highest level of democratic principles. It is because I, as a patriotic South African, value democracy so much that I couldn’t reconcile myself with a deep feeling of unease when the US…

A helicopter carrying India’s chief of defence staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and other officials crashed yesterday in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, officials said. The helicopter crashed at Nilgiris district’s Coonoor area, about 538km southwest of Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu. Officials have not confirmed casualties citing sensitivity and protocol. However, local media reports said four bodies had been retrieved, and three people had been seriously injured. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has confirmed that Rawat was on board at the time of the crash. “An IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter, with CDS General Bipin Rawat on board, met with an accident today near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu,” the IAF said. “An inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.” Local television news agency Asian News…

WASHINGTON: In a bid to defuse tension between Russia and the Ukraine, US President Joe Biden held direct talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in a two-hour virtual meeting on Tuesday. According to news broadcaster Al Jazeera, Biden opened statements with a friendly welcome of Putin, saying it “was good to see” him and later voiced his concern about “Russia’s escalation of forces surrounding Ukraine”. Biden also warned his counterpart that the US would respond with strong economic and other measures over fears of an invasion of Ukraine. Putin demanded legally binding security against the expansion of Nato.…

PARIS: The Saudi man arrested at a Paris airport over suspected links to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was released yesterday after officials concluded it was a case of mistaken identity, Paris prosecutors said. French law enforcement sources named the man as Khaled Aedh Al-Otaibi, the same name as a former member of the Saudi Royal Guard listed in US and British sanctions documents and a UN-commissioned report as having been involved in Khashoggi’s killing in Turkey. The Saudi Embassy in Paris said the arrested person “has nothing to do with the case in question.”…