Table of contents for 2022-07-28 in Cape Times

ACTRESS Julianne Moore, 61, was once told the plant-based pigment chlorophyll was “really good” for skincare and has started each day with two large glasses of water first thing every morning for years. She said: “I’m not a morning person. I’m a middle person. I realised recently that my ideal sleep cycle is from midnight to 8am. When I can do that, I feel fantastic. “The first thing I do is drink two big glasses of water with chlorophyll in it. I also like to take a bath in the morning and at night, with two whole cups of Epsom salts. In the morning it’s a really, really short one, but it helps wake me up, believe it or not.” Meanwhile, the Nine Months star – married to director Bart…

A DECISION on whether the developers of the River Club redevelopment, the Liesbeek Leisure Property Trust (LLPT) are in contempt of court is yet to be made, after the matter was postponed yesterday. This after indigenous and environmental activists, the Goringhaicona Khoi Khoin Indigenous Traditional Council (GKKITC) and the Observatory Civic Association (OCA) launched an application to stop developers from continuing structural work on the site that was in progress despite a court interdict in place. In March Deputy Judge President Patricia Goliath interdicted construction on the site pending review proceedings, saying the fact that the development had economic benefits could never override the fundamental rights of the First Nations People, which were under threat. However the LLPT had continued with “remedial” and “rehabilitation” work on the site “to prevent…

A SOMERSET West businessman will have to cough up just under R1.5 million to compensate 16 former employees who he had unfairly dismissed, the Western Cape High Court ordered. Willem Theunissen, owner of closed corporation Theunissen Technical Services, in the building industry, has been ordered to pay each employee R92 400, equivalent to a year’s gross salary, as compensation. High court judge Hilary Rabkin-Naicker found that the termination of employment of the 16 applicants was both substantively and procedurally unfair in terms of section 189 of the Labour Relations Act and that Theunissen was liable to compensate the applicants for their unfair dismissals. According to judgment documents, representing himself in the matter, Theunissen argued that the applicants - who were employed as labourers and general workers on an ad hoc…

Important to understand judicial fluctuations THERE is a pretty good chance that there is division among South Africans on whether to expect President Cyril Ramaphosa to immediately suspend Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe following the July 25 decision by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to advise Ramaphosa to do so. The JSC added that the move followed its decision on August 25 last year that Judge Hlophe was guilty of gross misconduct. No matter how much excitement the recommendation has invoked, we can anticipate a long wait, given Ramaphosa’s annoying cautionary approach to decision-making, especially on critical issues. There are already many breathless commentaries that Judge Hlophe is going nowhere soon. Consider that the JSC indicated that all commissioners took the decision, including Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, but…

Paediatric cardiology specialists from the Bill Novick Cardiac Alliance are planning to expand their charity programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, team leader Bill Novick told Sputnik. “We are going to start a new programme in Rwanda, in the capital city of Kigali. It will start in the first quarter of next year,” Novick said. Novick said Rwanda does not have paediatric surgeons and “really needs help,” along with other countries in sub-Saharan Africa. “There is an Ethiopian-Australian trained paediatric heart surgeon, whom we have known for years, and he is going to take up a position there in Kigali. He has asked us to help develop this programme in paediatric heart surgery. We don’t know how many surgeries we will perform there.” The Cardiac Alliance team has…

Bukavu: Four people at an anti-UN protest in Uvira in eastern Demoratic Republic of Congo were killed yesterday after they were struck by a falling high-voltage cable. The same morning, groups of young people attempted to besiege the UN peacekeeping base in the town. Police officers fired warning shots at the protesters, but a bullet pierced a high-voltage cable which collapsed on protesters about 100m from the UN base. The deaths in South Kivu come after two days of anti-UN protests in North Kivu province during which 15 people, three of them peacekeepers, had died. Demonstrations against the UN mission began in Goma. | AFP…

GABORONE: Botswana has become the second nation in the world, after Eswatini, to reach a landmark UN goal towards eradicating Aids, researchers said yesterday, in what health experts hailed as “stellar results”. The country has met the so-called “95-95-95” target on HIV diagnosis, treatment and viral suppression several years early. About one in five people in Botswana live with the virus. The agency wanted 95% of HIV-positive people to know their status, 95% of those diagnosed on medication and 95% of those under treatment to show signs that the virus is being suppressed. | AFP…

MADRID: Latin American superstar Shakira has rejected a settlement offered by the prosecutor in her ¤14.5 million Spanish tax fraud case and is now a step closer to going to trial, her media team said yesterday. The Colombian singer, who has sold more than 80 million records worldwide with hits such as Hips Don’t Lie, has always met all of her tax obligations, a statement said. “The singer is fully confident of her innocence and therefore does not accept a settlement,” it said. Shakira is accused of failing to pay ¤14.5m (R248m) in tax income between 2012 and 2014, when her representatives say she did not live in Spain. The 45-year-old singer – dubbed “the Queen of Latin Music” – says she moved to Barcelona in 2015, where she…

LEADING one of the Soweto glamour clubs – Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs – in any capacity, requires one to develop a thick skin. The likes of retired captains Jimmy Tau (Chiefs) and Lucky Lekgwathi (Pirates) will attest to the fact that the fans of the two clubs were quick to call for their heads whenever they made mistakes despite their trophy-laden spells with the Soweto giants. So, Innocent Maela will do well to seek advice from the club legends on how to withstand the heat and be successful as he was announced as the new captain of the Sea Robbers yesterday, ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. The captain's armband at the Buccaneers had been left vacant following the departure of veteran hardman Happy Jele, who had…

Methods for cooking vegetables are important because it’s a pretty well-known fact: vegetables are good for you. They’re full of vitamins, nutrients, and lots of other stuff our body needs to function properly. But a lot of people see eating vegetables as a chore – an unfortunate but necessary part of the meal. Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. Vegetables can actually be really delicious. Here are some of the ways to make vegetables taste great. Roast, pan fry or stir fry I love roast veg but they can take a while, so I often pop them in a frying pan for a speedier alternative. Unlike boiling, these dry heat methods of cooking help add yummy caramelised flavours to your veg and remove excess moisture. Add zest to…

THE weight which customary marriages carry was once again illustrated during a legal wrangle by two widows. Both claimed that they were legally married to their now-deceased husband. The first wife said she married her husband in 1991 in terms of customary law. The second said she was the “true wife” as she had married her husband in 2007 in terms of civil proceedings. Both wives told the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria that they were entitled to their late husband’s estate, and each asked the court to declare her marriage as being valid. But when Steve Sibanyoni died in December 2020, he had no idea that his marriage to the second wife was in fact not valid because in terms of the court’s verdict after his death, he was in…

THE JUDICIAL Service Commission (JSC) has been asked to submit written reasons to Western Cape High Court Judge President (JP) John Hlophe’s legal team for its suspension recommendation made to the Presidency. Through his legal team, Hlophe also said he was contemplating applying to court to have the process followed by the JSC and the resultant decision, to be set aside on review. Representing Hlophe, Barnabas Xulu SC, wrote to the JSC adding that his client had been prejudiced by the JSC. “As stated by yourself, Judge President Hlophe had made comprehensive written representations to the JSC prior to the JSC taking its decision. Those representations were contained in a letter written by us to the JSC dated July 22. “In paragraph 68 of that letter, Judge President Hlophe asked…

MACASSAR residents were left without power for almost three days during the week due to Eskom equipment failure. Residents in the area including local businesses were affected by the prolonged power outage. Macassar ward councillor Peter Helfrich said residents are fed up with being left in darkness for extended periods and they blame Eskom. “Residents are still trying to recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic but are now being subjected to stage 6 load shedding. “It seems as the stages of load shedding increase, so does criminal activity in our ward. “Criminals are taking advantage of load shedding. Cable theft is also happening more often these days during load shedding. The longer we remain in darkness, the more criminals seem to thrive. “This coupled with failed Eskom infrastructure…

The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) is auditing companies that claimed its Covid-19 temporary employer-employee relief scheme (Ters) with a special focus on employers who defrauded the government scheme. Phase two of the UIF’s “Follow the Money Project”, which started this month, has also set its sights on employers who did not declare employees and kept Covid-19 Ters money for themselves, instead of paying their workers. UIF commissioner Teboho Maruping said the Fund was implementing an “on the spot as well as an over time recoupment process”. The process will apply in cases in which, before March 2020, employees were not declared by employers. In such instances, 70% of the 2% contributed by the Fund will be recovered immediately. “In these cases, only 30% will be recouped over a period of…

THE policy proposal to increase the tenure of heads of departments (HoDs) from five years to 10, subject to performance, is food for thought amid the much-talked about professionalisation of the public service. The reform aims to stabilise the administrative leadership and the so-called “political-administrative interface” between the HoDs and ministers. Acting Public Service and Administration Minister Thulas Nxesi was quoted this week as saying a person appointed to an HoD post should exist beyond the tenure of the political head for purposes of business continuity and delivery of the mandate. “Building administrative capacity at director-general (DG) level should never be about a preference or not for a DG, but their capability and their performance and capacity to deliver,” Nxesi said. However, he said a decision regarding the tenure of…

An animal market in Wuhan, the capital of Central China’s Hubei province, was the epicentre of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to two new studies published this week in the journal Science that claimed to have tipped the balance in the debate about the virus’ origins. Answering the question of whether the disease spilled over naturally from animals to humans, or was the result of a lab accident, is viewed as vital to averting the next pandemic and saving millions of lives. The first paper analysed the geographic pattern of Covid-19 cases in the first month of the outbreak, December 2019, showing the first cases were tightly clustered around Wuhan’s Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market. The second examined genomic data from the earliest cases to study the virus’ evolution, concluding it was…

A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the northern Philippine island of Luzon yesterday, killing at least five people, damaging buildings and sending strong tremors through the capital, Manila. At least 64 people were injured and 173 buildings damaged, officials said, many in Abra province, just 11km from the epicentre of the quake. Over 200 aftershocks have been recorded in the area, according to the state seismology agency, and 58 landslides were also reported in the aftermath. “Despite the sad reports about the damages caused by the earthquake, we are assuring quick response to those in need and affected by this calamity,” President Ferdinand Marcos jr said on Facebook. The quake hit close to the Marcos family’s political stronghold. A hospital in Abra province was evacuated after the building partially collapsed but…

AMSTERDAM: Dutch prosecutors yesterday said they had arrested another suspect in the killing of crime reporter Peter R de Vries, bringing the total number of suspects to six. The suspect, 27, was arrested in the town of Helmond. Prosecutors said his involvement was thought to be “indirect”. De Vries was gunned down in Amsterdam last year. A verdict in the trial of two men arrested after the killing was delayed on July 11 as judges ordered the case reopened following the arrest of additional suspects. Of the suspects on trial, one has denied wrongdoing. The other has invoked his right to remain silent. | Reuters…

Tokyo: Local authorities hunting for a gang of monkeys who attacked and wounded nearly 50 people in western Japan have caught and killed one of the marauding primates, an official said yesterday. The male simian was seized while roaming the grounds of a high school in Yamaguchi city. Officials have been trying for weeks to track down the vicious gang which have been assaulting residents with mostly mild scratches and bites. Specially commissioned hunters shot the monkey with a tranquiliser gun. Patrols have been under way in Yamaguchi since the attacks began three weeks ago. But with 49 people injured this week and fresh attacks, the search is still on. | AFP…

SUPERSPORT United’s recruitment drive, with new head coach Gavin Hunt at the helm, has moved into overdrive as a trio of Mamelodi Sundowns players have arrived at Matsatsantsa for loan spells. Their arrival comes days after SuperSport snapped up former Orlando Pirates central defender Thulani Hlatshwayo, who was starved of game time under co-coaches Mandla Ncikazi and Fadlu Davids last season. Hlatshwayo also played for Wits while Hunt was at the helm. The trio includes goalkeeper Ricardo Goss, midfielder/striker Grant Margeman and striker Thabang Sibanyoni. The players are on a two-year loan deal except for Sibanyoni, who is out on a season-long loan deal. Goss’ arrival will offset the loss of former stalwart goalkeeper Ronwen Williams who has joined crosstown rivals Sundowns. The 28-year-old Goss, who has two Bafana Bafana…

THE Commonwealth Games are sometimes seen as a quirky relic in the modern sporting calender, but former IOC marketing chief Michael Payne says they have consistently defied the doomsayers. The 22nd edition of the Games opens in Birmingham today, bringing together around 5 000 athletes from 72 nations and territories - mostly former British colonies - to compete in 19 sports over 11 days. Some track and field stars will be absent when the competition gets under way - just days after the end of the world championships in Eugene, Oregon. But there will still be plenty of big names on show at the event, which features sports as diverse as lawn bowls and marathon running. The Commonwealth Games are not on the scale of the Olympics that Birmingham once…

FORTY-TWO schools in the province have reported incidents of vandalism and burglary during the June and July holidays, a slight increase from the 38 incidents recorded last year. Education MEC David Maynier said most of the incidents were minor, with items stolen or damaged including bathroom fixtures, fencing, solar panels, cleaning materials, tablets, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) equipment, security and electrical equipment, and bicycles. Criminals even looted packs of sanitary pads and first aid kits. “One major incident involved damages estimated at over R121 000. The total cost of all the incidents is currently estimated at R808 600, with the estimates for some of the incidents still outstanding. “That means that nearly a million rand that could have been spent on educating our learners, now must be spent on…

THE Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) has announced its intention to publish the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the commencement of the Integrated Renewable Energy and Resource Efficiency Programme (iREREP) following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address this week on actions to address the electricity crisis. “I am delighted to announce the release of the RFP in the next week for the procurement of the programme, which will be the largest programme for the procurement of renewable energy and resource efficiency for public facilities,” DPWI Minister Patricia De Lille said yesterday. The DPWI, as the largest landlord and facilities manager in the country, has a responsibility to not only deliver and manage quality infrastructure but to combat climate change and enhance sustainable development through its mandate, such as providing buildings…

A SIXTEENTH suspect has been added to a number of underworld figures in the trial for the murder of Brian “Steroid King” Wainstein. The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) spokesperson Katlego Mogale said Igur “The Russian” Russol briefly appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court this week. He faces charges ranging from conspiracy to commit murder, gang-related charges and contravention of firearms Control Act. Russol will appear alongside alleged underworld figures. These include Mark Lifman, Jerome “Donkie” Booysen and Andre Naude in the Western Cape High Court next month, as the murder trial gets underway. Russol was released on R15 000 bail yesterday morning. “This comes after the execution of a warrant for his arrest (on Tuesday morning) and he was indicted to appear in the Western Cape…

Provincial Organised Crime detectives are hard at work tracing the accomplices of Lusanda Gqamana, who made his first appearance in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court yesterday in connection with a mass shooting in Site C earlier this month. Gqamana was arrested this week following a shooting at the corner of Nyebelele and Ntengu streets which claimed the lives of Kwezi Mphummzi, 34, Mveleli Nobuzana, 36, and Howard Mjamba, 50, on July 16. Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said has been charged with three counts of murder. “The endeavours of our detectives to pursue every avenue to bring to book those responsible for violent crimes in this province were rewarded with the court appearance of a 30-year-old suspect this morning in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court. “While the arrested suspect who was previously convicted…

In the past two years, the world has set in place several measures in which the anti-Covid-19 strategy works. Although these measures varied from one nation, region and continent to another, all implementation was meant to suit local conditions. China was no different as it implemented strategies and measures unique to its local conditions. The entire population, led by the government and relevant ministries abided by strict rules aimed at strengthening the anti-Covid-19 fight. However, as the fight against Covid-19 persists in China, new strategies need to be set in place as novel types of the virus emerge. Such conditions need strong and good governance as Covid-19 continues to mutate, testing the resilience of both the people and the government. For more than two years, China has adhered to the…

Ukraine yesterday said it had restarted operations at its blockaded Black Sea ports as it moved closer to resuming grain exports with the opening of a coordination centre to oversee a UN-backed deal. Progress towards fulfilling the landmark agreement came as Kyiv’s artillery struck a key bridge in Moscow-controlled territory in south Ukraine, damaging an important supply route as Ukrainian forces look to wrest back the Kherson region. German authorities said Russia’s state giant Gazprom drastically cut gas deliveries to Europe via the Nord Stream pipeline to about 20% of capacity in a move decried in the EU as revenge for Western sanctions over the invasion. Ukraine and Russia last week agreed a plan with the help of Turkey and the UN to allow grain stranded by Moscow’s naval blockade…

Air pollution is likely to increase the risk of developing dementia, a UK government research group has said. The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants has published its findings after reviewing almost 70 studies that analysed how exposure to emissions affect the brain over time. The 291-page report concludes that air pollution is likely to increase the risk of accelerated “cognitive decline” and of “developing dementia” in older people. Experts believe this is due to the impact of pollutants entering the circulatory system, affecting blood flow to the brain. About 850 000 people in the UK suffer from dementia, according to the NHS. There is also more well-established evidence to show that exposure to air pollution increases the risk of heart disease. | IANS…

Paris: Iran is carrying out state-approved executions at a “horrifying pace” and on a mass scale that constitutes an “abhorrent assault” on the right to life, rights groups said on yesterday. The Abdorrahman Boroumand Centre for Human Rights in Iran and Amnesty International said about 251 confirmed hangings have been carried out this year so far. “If executions continue at this horrifying pace, they will soon surpass the 314 executions recorded for 2021,” the groups said. They said that of the 251 cases, 146 of people executed had been convicted of murder. But at least 86 people were executed for drug-related offences. | AFP…

NEW YORK: Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s flight jacket, which he wore on the historic mission to the moon in 1969, was sold for about $2.8 million (about R47m) in New York, auction house Sotheby’s said. The jacket front displays Nasa’s logo and the Apollo 11 mission emblem. It is made of a fireproof cloth that was incorporated into Nasa space suits. The second highest grossing item at the auction was the summary flight plan of the Apollo 11 mission. It was sold for $819 000, exceeding estimates of $100 000-$150 000. Aldrin, 92, is the only surviving member of the mission’s three-man crew. | Reuters…

IT seems that the All Blacks will be spared the hammer of the Springboks’ Thor, Duane Vermeulen, after coach Jacques Nienaber told the media that the veteran No 8 has “some way to go” before being match ready. There is better news regarding the other stalwart recalled to the Bok squad following the series against Wales, Frans Steyn, and he could well take up his imposing place in the “Bomb Squad” for next Saturday’s opener against the All Blacks in Nelspruit. Vermeulen earned the nickname Thor from his teammates because of the total lack of subtlety in his rampaging ball carrying and his sledgehammer defence, but the way he plays the game takes a toll on his body and he missed out on playing the Welsh because of another knee…

FORMER Australia captain Adam Gilchrist yesterday voiced concerns over the Indian Premier League's (IPL) expanding global footprint, saying the cash-rich league's efforts to monopolise T20 franchise cricket are becoming "a little bit dangerous". Gilchrist's comments came in the wake of reports in Australian media saying batter David Warner will skip Australia's Big Bash League (BBL) this season to participate in a new league in the United Arab Emirates, backed by IPL money. Warner plays for IPL side Delhi Capitals, owned by India's GMR Group, which owns a team in the Emirati league. The new tournament's schedule is set to clash with the BBL's, which runs from December to early-February 2023. IPL team owners have also bought all six franchises of South Africa's new domestic T20 league, while three IPL franchise…