Table of contents for 2022-03-15 in Cape Times

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za THE Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has described the closure of several national government buildings in Pretoria as illegal because the owners did not have a court order. The department said the allegations and illegal actions by the Bothongo Group were an attempt to deflect from the evidence of overpayment that it had presented to multiple landlords and was in the process of resolving. ”The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure wishes to set the record straight regarding the illegal closure of buildings in Pretoria by a landlord who claimed rent had not been paid … “It is important to note that the closing of the buildings is illegal as no court order has been granted to evict the clients or close the buildings,” the department…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za NEDBANK has been directed to keep the bank accounts belonging to the Sekunjalo Group of Companies (Sekunjalo) open. Judge Mondi Samela, presiding over the Equality Court matter in the Western Cape, in which Sekunjalo is taking Nedbank and other South African banks on for discrimination, ordered the undertaking until such time as the interdict application against Nedbank is heard on April 8 and an outcome is reached. Having heard senior counsel’s submissions for the applicants and the respondents, and having considered the issues raised by both parties, Judge Samela said he was of the view that a case had been made for the relief sought by Sekunjalo. Judge Samela said: “The respondents are hereby interdicted from closing the applicant’s accounts on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. To page…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za AgriSA claims its research has revealed that the ongoing Ukraine-Russia crisis will have substantial consequences on South Africa’s agricultural sector and food security. Chief economist at AgriSA Kulani Siweya said Ukraine and Russia were both major producers of wheat, accounting for a quarter of global wheat exports, and the disruption to the supply of this staple food would cause food price shocks globally. “Particularly in South Africa given that we import 30% of our total wheat from these nations. “Moreover, Russia is the leading supplier of fertiliser globally. “Recent data shows that global fertiliser prices had already risen substantially between January 2021 and January 2022. “Local fertiliser prices doubled while global prices quadrupled. Farmers were therefore already under pressure prior to the current crisis. Russia’s invasion of…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za BROWNS Farm in Philippi has once again been rocked by a murder of a teenage girl after the body of a 16-year-old was found at a dumping site at the weekend. A picture of the young girl’s body on a pile of rubbish surfaced on social media on Sunday with some people calling for members of the public to help identify her or those who might recognise her to inform her loved ones. Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said Nyanga police were investigating a murder case after police members attended a crime scene in Mzinggizawe Street, Browns Farm, on Sunday at around 8am. “Upon arrival they found the body of a 16-year-old girl. The victim was declared dead on the scene by the medical personnel. The motive for…

IT IS interesting to examine how states that abolished the death penalty behave after having done so. Russia, embroiled in the invasion of its neighbour Ukraine, has been known as an abolitionist state. It is claimed to have done so way back in 1917 after their revolution, only beaten by the Netherlands which did so in 1870. Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, did so in 1961 soon after the hanging of one of Hitler’s arch-henchmen, Adolf Eichmann, who killed many Jews. Our country, after its brutal and bloody colonial and apartheid eras, was one of the most recent ones to abolish this scourge, in 1995. It is never easy for countries to take this bold step, but if they do so they should surely live up to…

Sudanese security forces opened fire yesterday as protesters in several cities across the northeast African nation marched against military rule and a worsening economic situation. Costs of bread and transport have soared in recent days, and protesters marched to demand a return to civilian rule and protest the rising cost of living. Regular protests calling for civilian rule have taken place since a military coup led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on October 25, with heavy-handed crackdowns leaving 87 dead, according to medics. “Down with military rule,” protesters chanted in Damazin, a city some 450km south-east of the capital Khartoum. Security forces opened fire to disperse protesters, witness Mohamed Abdel Qader said. On Sunday, the price of bread shot up over 40%. Sudan has been especially vulnerable to fears…

Following reports that Moscow had contacted Beijing for military assistance, including procurement of drones and military equipment for its campaign in Ukraine, Chinese officials denied the claims and said it was ‘disinformation’ from the US. According to Indo-Asian News Service, the Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington, Liu Pengyu, said he was unaware of any talks between China willing to assist Russia in the request for military aid. Pengyu said China had and would continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and that the priority needed to be in preventing the “tense situation from escalating or even getting out of control”. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has found himself in a tough spot amid the conflict as he holds strong ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Xi said no goodwill could come…

Kinshasa: At least 75 people were killed and 125 injured after a freight train derailment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), local authorities said. Although the accident took place on Friday, the toll was confirmed by the National Railway Company of Congo (SNCC) only on Sunday, reports Xinhua news agency. The derailment of the 15-wagon train took place in the district of Lubudi in Lualaba province, Fabien Mutomb, director general of the SNCC, said. According to the Ministry of Communication and Media, the train lost control before several wagons ended up in a ravine due to a locomotive traction failure.…

Kolkata: Mother Teresa’s former secretary has been named the new head of the Indian charity founded by the Catholic saint, officials said yesterday, months after the organisation’s funding came under government scrutiny. Sister Joseph Michael is the third person to helm the Missionaries of Charity since the 1997 death of the revered nun and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who dedicated her life to helping the poor in Kolkata. Members of the religious order from 110 countries gathered in the megacity to elect their new leader during a weekend prayer retreat, spokesperson Sunita Kumar said.…

Cristiano Ronaldo gave Manchester United fans a glimpse of what they thought they were getting from his second coming at Old Trafford with a trio of thumping finishes to see off Tottenham 3-2 on Saturday. The 59th career hat-trick of Ronaldo’s career was just his second for United in a second spell that has failed to match the hype around his signing in August. United go into today’s finely balanced Champions League last-16 tie against Atletico Madrid, after a 1-1 draw in the Spanish capital, knowing European glory is their only remaining chance of silverware this season. Ronaldo has tended to save his best for the Champions League this season, scoring six goals in the group stage just to ensure United did not suffer the ignominy of a group stage…

Kamogelo Moichela kamogelo.moichela@inl.co.za ANTI-RACISM activist and former Pretoria Girls High pupil Zulaikha Patel has told the SA Human Rights Commission that those responsible for the controversial Clicks hair advert two years ago should be held accountable. Her comments come as the commission yesterday kicked off its first sitting of an inquiry into racial discrimination in South Africa’s advertising sector. In 2020, Clicks flighted a TREsemme advert on its website that depicted the hair of white women as “normal”, while the hair of black women was depicted as “dry and damaged” with the Cabinet later describing it as “profoundly offensive and racist”. Patel, who in 2016 became the face of the movement called #StopRacism- AtPretoriaGirlsHigh after she protested against the school’s discriminatory hair policies, told the commission the advert published by…

Odwa Mkentane odwa.mkentane@inl.co.za KHAYELITSHA resident Ntombi Nogaga collapsed in shock when her sister, Asanda, was among the five bodies removed from a bloody scene in the Monwabisi Park informal settlement yesterday. Residents of the recently formed informal settlement along Baden Powell Drive woke up to the grim discovery where four men, including Nogaga’s boyfriend, were found in a small shack. They had been shot. Nogaga’s partially dressed body was found about 300m from that scene. Ward councillor Lonwabo Mqina said: “We see dumped dead bodies next to the road and at times right in front of our houses. What shocked us as a community is the mass shooting. The challenge we are facing here is that our roads are not up to standard, which makes it difficult for the police…

Staff writer A PILOT intervention in the Eastern Cape has proposed that an animal health strategy aimed at treating tapeworm in the pig population, if carried out responsibly and consistently, may effectively eliminate the associated human disease in a community in three years. Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a human neurological disease caused by the tapeworm, Taenia solium. The natural life cycle of T solium includes humans as final hosts and pigs as intermediate hosts, known as cysticercosis. NCC is a global disease in resource-poor, rural communities and in the Eastern Cape there is a high number of clinical cases presenting as epilepsy in children and adults. It has been found to be responsible for causing more than 60% of epilepsy cases in young people, Afrivet said. The transmission from pig to…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za WHILE the resumption of the northern line train service has been welcomed by commuters, security concerns remain. For the first time after two years of no movement on the corridor, Metrorail is expecting to introduce a passenger service tomorrow which will include a new operating time table. The Cape Town and Bellville via Goodwood line was closed in March 2020 under lockdown level 5 as part of the country’s Covid-19 restrictions. Metrorail acting spokesperson Nana Zenani said the line would be restored in several phases. Yesterday, as part of phase 1, empty trains were operating without passengers in a trial run. Metrorail acting regional manager Kaparo Molefi said the aim was to ensure that all rail corridors were operating as expected post Covid-19 level 5 shutdowns and…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za THE Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has confirmed that it will be conducting further recounts in nine voting districts following allegations that there may have been irregularities in the allocation of votes. The IEC had previously conducted recounts last November at 14 voting stations which reportedly revealed that votes were misallocated following the local government elections. This follows claims made by the Cape Independence Party (CapeExit) that IEC officials had misallocated votes cast for the party. The party said they approached the Electoral Court to investigate the matter. CapeExit Chief Whip Adrian Kay said: “The very limited recount of November 11 revealed a further gain of 552 votes for the Cape Independence Party, putting us approximately 250 votes short of an additional seat.” “The IEC has…

THE KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education’s decision to hold officials accountable for poor Grade 12 results is long overdue. Other provincial departments should be encouraged to follow suit to ensure the overall improvement of matric results throughout the country. Last week, KZN Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu launched the accountability sessions, to understand the challenges that led to poor performance and to hold officials accountable. Mshengu said the accountability sessions would only focus on schools and districts that achieved a pass rate of below 40%. He said everyone tasked with delivering the department’s mandate needed to account for the low pass rate. He vowed that no one would escape scot-free for poor matric results. The accountability sessions should be encouraged as they would spur on officials, at all levels, to work hard…

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said yesterday there were no plans to tighten strict physical distancing measures as the Chinese-ruled territory battles to contain a coronavirus surge that has submerged its health system amid soaring deaths. Lam said there was limited room to tighten further, with the global financial hub already having put in place the strictest measures since the pandemic started. Gatherings of more than two people are banned, most venues are shut – including schools – and masks are compulsory everywhere, even when exercising outdoors. “The government has to be very careful before tightening social distancing measures further ... with the need to consider the mental health of citizens,” she told a daily briefing. Lam said last week that the government had no time frame for a potential…

UN biodiversity negotiations began in Geneva yesterday to hammer out a global deal to better protect nature that is due for approval later this year. Almost 200 countries are due to adopt a global framework this year to safeguard nature by mid-century from the destruction wrought by humanity, with a key milestone of 30% protected by 2030. “The world is clearly eager for urgent action to protect nature,” said Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity. “And we have no time to spare. Together we must ultimately deliver a truly historic agreement that puts us firmly on the path to living in harmony with nature.” Talks, which run from March 14 to 29, will set the stage for a crucial UN COP 15 biodiversity summit, initially…

NEW YORK: The US is increasingly abusing its position as the host country of the UN’s headquarters for political gain, Petr Ilichev, director of the Department of International Organizations of the Russian Foreign Ministry, told Sputnik. “The US has been increasingly abusing its position as the host country of the UN headquarters to extract unilateral political benefits and put pressure on the missions of other countries,” Ilichev said. He said such actions violate fundamental international legal norms, including those enshrined in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963.…

comment by Mihlali Baleka mihlali.baleka@inl.co.za Hugo Broos’ decision to select nine defenders in his final squad for Bafana Bafana’s two international friendlies against Guinea and France is alarming - he is coming across as afraid with this defensive approach. Bafana are expected to be no match for the reigning world champions France on March 29, but you’d expect them to fancy their chances against fellow Africans Guinea, who were knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations last month in the last-16, next week Friday. Friendly matches are where coaches get to gauge the team’s readiness for major tournaments and even though Bafana are out of the qualifiers for the Fifa World Cup, you wouldn’t expect Broos to rest on his laurels this month. So why would Broos select so…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za Kaizer Chiefs will be looking to make it three wins on the trot when they host Golden Arrows at the FNB Stadium on Saturday night. After starting the year poorly, Chiefs have been rejuvenated in recent times, recording back-to-back wins over Baroka FC and Orlando Pirates. A win over Arrows could lift them into second place. Should they finish second this season, they will qualify for next season’s CAF Champions League. Given that Mamelodi Sundowns’ lead atop the league standings is 15 points, it’s safe to say that second is the best that Chiefs will be able to do this season. Meanwhile, Chiefs legend and goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune has reflected on how injuries have affected his career in recent years. Arguably the best South African goalkeeper in…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za WHILE there is no legislation making it mandatory for an employee to be vaccinated for Covid-19, there are circumstances in which an employer can dismiss a worker who refuses to adhere to vaccination policy at work. The issue of a vaccination policy in the office came under the spotlight when a candidate attorney doing articles at a Western Cape law firm was fired after he refused to be vaccinated. It was a win-win outcome for both the candidate attorney, Dale Dreyden, and his now former employee, Duncan Korabie Attorneys. Two commissioners of the CCMA found that Dreyden’s dismissal was substantially fair, but procedurally unfair. It was fair in the sense that the head of the law firm, Duncan Korabe, had comorbidities and was medically vulnerable, which required…

Staff Reporter DURING his provincial budget speech yesterday, Finance and Economic Opportunities MEC David Maynier was met with placards from the benches of the opposition calling for among other things, the allocation of R150 million for the Khayelitsha District hospital and the establishment of an Environmental Commissioner. Maynier yesterday announced the province will over the medium term spend R19.6 billion on jobs, R4.4bn on safety and R30.3bn on infrastructure. An additional R6.2bn has been allocated over the medium term to education; an additional R2.4bn to health care and an additional R136 million to social development. The province has also allocated R777m for the health platform, which will be spent on the fight against Covid-19; and R198m for the roll-out of vaccinations. “We are in a better fiscal position now, but…

Building a moderately prosperous society in all respects Arriving at Tiananmen Square for the first time in October 2017 was one of the most elating experiences of my life. It is a sight to behold. It is true, a visit to Beijing is not complete if you have not visited Tiananmen. Anyone who knows the architecture of the northern capital would know that the city has at its heart Tiananmen. Six ring roads, major highways in the capital, encircle the square. To the north of the square lies the Forbidden City and the famous portrait of Chairman Mao. Tiananmen means “gate of heavenly palace”. Straight across from the portrait, in the south of the square, is the Mausoleum of Chairman Mao. The centre of the square hosts the Monument to…

Kyiv: An air strike yesterday on a 9-storey residential building in the capital killed at least one person, the country’s emergency service said, as Moscow maintained its devastating assault ahead of a fresh round of talks. The strike, which injured at least 12 people, came as Russian troops edged closer to the city and kept up their siege of Mariupol, where officials said nearly 2 200 people had been killed. Ukrainian and Russian representatives were set to yesterday meet via videoconference, a Ukrainian presidential adviser and a Kremlin spokesperson said before the latest strike. “Our goal is that in this struggle, in this difficult negotiating work, Ukraine will get the necessary result … for peace and for security,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said, adding both sides spoke every day. He said…

VATICAN: Pope Francis once again appealed to the parties of the conflict in Ukraine to end hostilities and resolve it peacefully. “With pain in my heart I join my voice to that of the common people, who implore an end to the war. In the name of God, let the cries of those who suffer be heard and let the bombings and attacks cease! Let there be a real and decisive focus on negotiation, and let the humanitarian corridors be effective and safe. In the name of God, I ask you: stop this massacre,” Pope Francis said after the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer. Earlier this month, the pontiff said that two cardinals – Konrad Krajewski and Michael Czerny – have been dispatched to support the local population in Ukraine. Russia…

BEIRUT: The chairman of the Lebanese Economic Organizations yesterday urged Saudi Arabia to restore normal ties with Lebanon to save the country from the “tragic crises” threatening its existence, the National News Agency reported. Lebanon has witnessed rising tensions with Gulf states over the past year in the light of drug smuggling attempts from the country to the Gulf region. In addition, the Gulf states have more than once expressed displeasure with the dominant political position of Hezbollah, a Shia Islamist party in Lebanon. Lebanon has been suffering the worst financial crisis in its history.…

TEHRAN: Iran will stay in the Vienna nuclear talks until its demands are met and a “strong agreement” is reached, Iran’s top security official Ali Shamkhani said yesterday. Talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear pact face the prospect of collapse after a last-minute Russian demand forced world powers to pause negotiations for an undetermined time despite having a largely completed text. “We will remain in the Vienna talks until our legal and logical demands are met and a strong agreement is reached,” Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, which makes the decisions in the Vienna talks, said in a tweet.…

Orlando Pirates co-coach Mandla Ncikazi has come to terms with the intense pressure of being at the helm of a team that loses more often than it wins. On Sunday, Pirates produced an emphatic performance in the CAF Confederation Cup despite suffering recent Nedbank Cup and Premiership defeats. Pirates defeated eSwatini’s Royal Leopards 3-0 at the Orlando Stadium and moved to the top of Group B. After four matches, Pirates have nine points, two points clear of JS Saoura (Algeria) and Al-Ittihad Club (Libya), who are on seven points each but are separated by goal difference. The fourth Group B team, Leopards, have yet to win a game in their debut season. Although Pirates top the log, JS Saoura and Al-Ittihad can still pip them to the qualifying post…