Table of contents for 2022-10-17 in Cape Times

The IFP has entered the fray on the controversial ministerial handbook, and its provisions, which have seen Cabinet members enjoying perks that include free water and electricity, and support staff at taxpayers’ expense. This follows further revelations that President Cyril Ramaphosa had secretly altered the handbook in April to not only allow ministers and deputies free utilities, but to also have more support staff, which sees the expenditure on the budget item rising to more than R80 million per year. It was reported yesterday that Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said after the outrage regarding the water and electricity bills issue, that a decision had been taken to review the handbook. The DA, who raised the alarm over the perks last week, yesterday charged that the alteration was used by Ramaphosa…

AS THE Cape Town leg of the international 48 Hour Film Project (48HFP) hosted by benchfilms drew to a close, dramady “One in the Oven” beat out 44 competing projects to clinch the award for Best Film. This was during a ceremony at the District Six Homecoming Centre on Saturday, attended by about 300 guests, where 25 awards were handed out, including an all-expenses paid film school bursary. There were over R1 million in sponsored prizes including airfare to Filmapalooza in Los Angeles, sponsored by Ayo Technology Solutions and Franc investment app. Started in the US, the 48HFP has since grown to become the largest global timed film festival with about 140 cities participating each year. In a single weekend, the Cape Town leg saw more than 1 000 Cape…

A DA councillor accused of sexual assault is expected to make his first appearance at the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court today. The City of Cape Town councillor was arrested on Friday on a charge of rape. It is reported that he allegedly made sexual advances towards a woman under the pretence of promising her a job. Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg said: “A 56-year-old male was arrested on Friday on a charge of rape and is due to make a court appearance in the Wynberg Magistrates court on Monday.” DA provincial chairperson Jaco Londt said the party had been informed of the alleged incident. “The facts must be ascertained and the matter dealt with quickly and decisively. The law must take its course without fear or favour. The matter has also…

AN independent panel of five members, including a retired judge, is set to investigate key matters relating to recent developments at UCT. The investigation comes after a majority of council members voted for UCT vice-chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng and UCT council chair, Babalwa Ngonyama, to be investigated during a meeting on Saturday. In a video posted to her social media on Sunday, Phakeng thanked her supporters. “Thank you so much for your support, you have no idea what it means to me. I wake up in the morning, I have WhatsApp’s and messages and it really means a lot in times like these, those messages keep me alive. It is tough on the top but one can do it with the support. “I am glad the investigation has been agreed on.…

How disgusting it is that when Elizabeth II has died, the cockroaches come out to scurry and “fart” in her shadow! Even they realise that they cannot criticise her personally, so they tar her as a believer in the misdeeds of her ancestors. Leaving aside their forefathers’ mindless violence against their neighbours (still with us) and the connivance of their ancestors with Arab slave traders and homicidal tyrants like Shaka, the cockroaches should accept that the world has changed. The jealousy of the impotent is an awful thing. I have a great consolation. There is no way at all that even the Leader Cockroach will have a funeral like that of Elizabeth. No such pomp, no display, no thousands upon thousands of her subjects lining the streets and passing by…

From November 7 to 18, the Western Cape High Court will reopen the inquest into the cause of Imam Haron’s death while in police custody in September 1969. Lawyer Odette Gendenhuys recently delivered an address titled ‘Searching for the Truth: Re-inquest into the death of Imam Haron’ at the Claremont Main Road Mosque on the reopening of the inquest. This is the edited version of her speech. I WILL start by saying something about the process of inquests and the role of being the Haron family’s legal representatives. I will then speak about searching for the truth via the avenue of legal justice. An inquest is not a criminal trial, in which a person or persons are facing criminal charges such as assault or murder. The law provides that…

Students at risk of chronic disease due to cheap junk food culture WORLD Food Day, celebrated annually on October 16 (yesterday), promotes global awareness and action to uplift those who suffer from hunger and to highlight the need to ensure access to healthy diets for all. However, in 2022 we are faced with an ongoing pandemic, conflict, global warming, rising prices, and international tensions. All these factors are affecting global food security. Educators have an enormous task to help students develop skills to help build a sustainable world where everyone has regular access to nutritious food. Although we have progressed towards building a better world, many people have been left behind – people who cannot benefit from human development, innovation, or economic growth. Millions of people worldwide cannot afford a…

Gunmen shot dead 11 people at a Russian military training ground on Saturday, the defence ministry said, in the latest blow to President Vladimir Putin’s forces since the invasion of Ukraine. The state-owned domestic news agency RIA cited the ministry as saying 15 other people were wounded in the shooting in the south-western Belgorod region that borders Ukraine when two men gunned down a group who had volunteered to take part in the war. It said the two assailants – nationals from an unspecified former Soviet republic – had been shot dead. The attack took place a week after a blast damaged a bridge in Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014. “During a firearms training session with individuals who voluntarily expressed a desire to participate in…

WASHINGTON: Former US president Barack Obama will campaign for Democratic Party candidates in Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin later this month and before the November 8 midterm elections that will determine control of the US Congress. Obama will canvas support for candidates for federal and state offices, appearing in Atlanta before travelling to Detroit and Milwaukee, his office said on Saturday. Republicans are predicted to win control of the US House of Representatives and possibly the US Senate as well. Several of them who want to upend the way votes are cast and counted are running for top election administrator offices. Obama will tell voters that Democrats are the party for protecting abortion rights but a main theme in his appearances will also be that Democrats can be better trusted to…

Addis Ababa: Ethiopia has ordered banks to deny foreign currency to businesses importing non-priority goods, in an effort to shore up dwindling foreign reserves in one of Africa’s major economies. The move effectively freezes the import of dozens of items such as alcohol and cars, as businesses must register with banks to obtain the foreign currency needed to bring goods into the country. In a letter to Ethiopia’s central bank, the Ministry of Finance said it had become necessary to restrict the use of foreign currency to importing food, medicine and medical equipment, and raw materials for manufacturing. |…

It’s appropriate that a domestic season that is set to be dominated by T20 cricket, kicks off the 2022-23 season with that particular format, with Cricket South Africa doing all it can to draw attention to the T20 Challenge. The eight Division One teams will spend the next three weeks in Potchefstroom. Over the next few weeks CSA are hoping that with tickets starting from R1, it can attract the local student population to occupy the grass embankments at the North West Oval. Besides DStv, which will broadcast the competition across its different package ranges, matches will also be shown on channels and streamed on apps in England, India and Australia. Although the Proteas are away at the T20 World Cup, because of the recent SA20 auction, the T20 Challenge…

Kaizer Chiefs suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Chippa United at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, putting an end to their seven-game unbeaten run. A new-look Amakhosi team appeared to be heading in the right direction following an impressive run of performances. However a poor display against Chippa saw them suffer their first defeat at home this season. A huge chunk of coach Arthur Zwane's problems this season have been his side's inability to convert the simplest of chances in front of goal. It was a similar case on Saturday as some of the club's most clinical finishers were guilty of spurning numerous chances against Chippa. Zwane was a disappointed figure at the post-match press conference. The 49-year-old however vowed to not lose hope in his players as fixtures come…

DEFENDING champion Stephen Mokoka once again showed why he is South Africa’s premier marathoner as he claimed a third win in the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon yesterday. The marathon was the main event in a jam-packed weekend of running action, attracting over 12 000 entries. Saturday also saw runners compete in the 46km Sanlam Cape Town Trail Marathon and 22km Trail Run, as well as the 5km and 10km Sanlam Cape Town Peace Runs. Olympian and multiple SA champion, Mokoka broke the tape in 2:09:58, three seconds faster than his winning 2:10:01 last year, and the fourth-fastest winning time in the race’s history. Second place went to Ethiopian Derseh Kindie Kassie in 2:11:26, with his countryman Dagnachew Adere Maru outsprinting Kenya’s Raymond Kipchumba Choge to take third place, 2:11:52 to…

DETERMINED to add a little magic to the lives of those in need, a single mother from Manenberg who runs a weekly soup kitchen, is asking for help to make her dream of hosting an early Christmas lunch for an Elim Night Shelter a reality. Helping others comes naturally to Valerie Olifant, who was inspired by the golden, generous heart of her late grandmother. “I came from a poor family, raised by my grandmother and I saw how she struggled to raise us. My grandmother died 6 months ago and she inspired me, even if its the last piece of bread she'll say give it to that person knocking at the door because someone won't ask if they don’t need it,” she said. Olifant runs a soup kitchen every Thursday,…

It is wonderful to have a good friend, one who sticks to you through thick and thin, and such a good friend is highly appreciated. It is like the true-blue supporter of a political party who will say: “It is my party, right or wrong!” The ANC is such a good friend of Mr Putin and refuses to admit that he could be wrong. We are told that the ANC is grateful to Russia for its support when they tried to overthrow the previous government. It is true that Russia and the whole Communist bloc sent money and AK-47 rifles and provided training in subversion and instigated debates in the UN and garnered votes to support the proposals condemning the white minority in South Africa. So one could say that…

As we approach the start of the matric examination period for 2022, I would like to wish the very best to all pupils. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the past three years have been challenging for the matric class of 2022 due to reasons like the hard lockdown, the revised curriculum, hybrid model of teaching and other stressors. However, learners have shown remarkable resilience and dedication in their studies. I have no doubt that this outstanding perseverance will definitely help towards achieving victory. The time to reap the fruits of hard work is now. Besides remaining focused on achieving good symbols, learners also need to look after themselves by leading a healthy lifestyle and increasing the remembrance of Almighty God. They need to be determined to do well by following…

The comment of Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu that South Africa is a peace-loving country is still on my mind. The fact is, it’s a mockery of reality. Well, we just had another mass shooting in Khayelitsha. And for sure, there are a few more people who have lost their lives in the past few days. This brings up another silly comment: “Black lives matter.” Is it not high time for big law changes? South Africa is sinking fast in all aspects. But it’s no surprise with a rotten leadership, including the 2 000 unqualified public servants in tow? It’s mind-boggling how money matters are handled. Most municipalities have no proper book-keeping, money disappears, nobody knows and nobody cares. Most municipalities are in debt; the same goes for state-owned enterprises. Time-consuming…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa must be elated by the success of his state visit to Saudi Arabia at the weekend, returning home with 11 deals signed to promote investment in the renewable energy, water, green hydrogen, waste diversion, logistics, and aerial survey sectors. The kingdom has been a must-visit port of call for South African presidents since democracy in 1994. Ramaphosa and his delegation, which included six ministers – Naledi Pandor of International Relations; Thoko Didiza of Agriculture; Ebrahim Patel of Trade and Industry; Gwede Mantashe of Mineral Resources and Energy, Fikile Mbalula of Transport and Thandi Modise of Defence – had a three-track mind. These included selling Brand South Africa; attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), especially a major contribution from Saudi public and private investors towards Pretoria’s US$70 billion…

Thousands of supporters of two rival Tunisian opposition groups held parallel protests against President Kais Saied on Saturday, denouncing his moves to consolidate his political power as public anger grows over fuel and food shortages. The Islamist Ennahda party and the Free Constitutional Party have been bitter foes for years and although they remain opposed to each other, both are now most focused on combating the president, whom they accuse of an anti-democratic coup. “Tunisia is bleeding. Saied is a failed dictator. He has set us back for many years. The game’s over. Get out,” said Henda Ben Ali, a 53-year-old unemployed woman who was taking part in the Free Constitutional Party protest. Saied, who moved to rule by decree after shutting down parliament last year and expanding his powers…

KARACHI: Pakistan’s foreign minister has summoned the US ambassador to the country in protest after President Joe Biden said Pakistan was “maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world” as it had “nuclear weapons without any cohesion”. Foreign Affairs Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said he was surprised by Biden’s comments at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reception on Thursday. Former premier Nawaz Sharif came to his country’s defence in a tweet. “Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state that is perfectly capable of safeguarding its national interest whilst respecting international law and practices.” |…

Mogadishu: The Mogadishu government threatened to sanction businesses that pay extortion money to al-Shabaab, looking to choke a lucrative cash pipeline the Islamist militants use to fund a deadly insurgency. Somalia’s ministry of commerce and industry said the full force of the law would be brought against traders who pay the al-Qaeda ally, which experts say raises millions of dollars through a complex and extensive taxation system. The ministry said any business found to have paid or collaborated with al-Shabaab in any way would “face legal action” including having their government-issued trading permits revoked. |…

MARUMO Gallants booked their place in the group stage of the Caf Confederation Cup with a 1-0 victory over Elgeco Plus from Madagascar on Saturday. Bahlabane Ba Ntwa, in their maiden campaign in Africa made light work of their opponents over two legs, securing a 4-1 aggregate victory. Marumo Gallants stand-in coach in Caf competitions, Raymond Mdaka reflected negatively following his side’s progression to the group stage of the Confederation Cup, blasting his players for taking their foot off the pedal in the second leg at home. “We should have won 1-0 away and 3-1 at home, the performance today was not that good,” Mdaka said. “Yes I admit we realised they couldn’t give us any problems offensively, but for us to have a good game we needed to score…

ESKOM’S signing of agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to lease land at Majuba and Tutuka power stations might snag on financial close as winners of bid window 5 under the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme are still struggling with obtaining funding months after the bids were awarded. Energy analysts said the signing of lease agreements did not automatically guarantee funding for the projects by bid winners HDF Energy South Africa, Red Rocket SA, Sola Group and Mainstream Renewable Power Developments South Africa, which are all expected to add to the grid 24 months after they obtain the financial close. “It is anticipated the generators will be connected to the grid within 24 to 36 months from financial closure, subject to environmental, land zoning and other regulatory approvals,”…

THE ICONIC Table Mountain has been crowned Africa’s Leading Tourist Attraction at the prestigious World Travel Awards for the fourth consecutive year. The accolade comes ahead of an expected bumper tourism season, which will see many operators looking to bounce back from the losses caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company (TMACC) Managing Director Wahida Parker said they were beyond excited about the award. “The World Travel Awards is the gold standard in the travel world and acknowledges service excellence and responsible operators each year. “We are beyond excited at the news that we retained our title. “We faced some very worthy competitors especially, from our hometown heroes such as Robben Island and the V&A Waterfront. Most of the nominees in our category were from Cape Town,…

AN ESTIMATED 45% of South Africa’s total available food supply is being lost or wasted yearly, with the primary production stage of the food cycle on farms being a major contributor. However, less than 40% of farmers measure how much food is wasted during the farming process. This was among the findings of a recent study conducted by The Behaviour Change Agency (BCA), a behavioural science research company from Cape Town. BCA was commissioned to do the research on behalf of WWF South Africa, the WWF Nedbank Green Trust and Food Forward. The findings were released ahead of World Food Day, marked yesterday. Although food waste occurs across all stages of the food supply chain, a study by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research found that 34.3% of the…

AS THE 44-year-old VIP Protection Unit officer who allegedly attempted suicide by shooting himself during a funeral service recovers in hospital, the local CPF says the incident points to the impact of ongoing violence. The officer shot himself in the head while performing security detail duties for MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety Reagen Allen at the funeral service of slain LEAP officer Allesandro Heynes on Saturday morning. The officer was rushed to hospital in a critical condition. Elsies River CPF chairperson Hamish Arries said they were “shocked and saddened by the unfortunate incident”. “This incident brings into stark reality the impact that the ongoing violence is having on all sectors of society. As citizens of one of the most beautiful but also most violent cities in the world,…

A Hungarian Vizla puppy has become the subject of a legal wrangle in the Johannesburg High Court involving a breeder and the owner of another male dog. The male mated with the breeder’s dog to produce a litter of highly sought-after puppies. In terms of the contract, the owner of the male, named Cody, was allowed to choose the best pup as payment. But the bone of contention arose as Charlie, the female, only produced one pup. Cody’s owner wanted to claim the pup, but Charlie’s owner refused. Aggrieved, Cody’s owner, Willie Wolmarans, turned to court to force breeder Tania Davey-Smith to give him what he regarded as his pup. Wolmarans asked for an order to declare an oral agreement between them to be a binding agreement as well as…

The letter, “Mikhail Gorbachev played into West’s hands”, (October 7) refers. If Mr Ndabeni was a former tutor at UWC, etc, one must feel sorry for the students. He obviously didn’t check on Russia’s total history and its colonisation in the eastern European countries, Asia, and also Africa, which is still carrying on today. Communism crashed, which made up Mr Gorbachev’s mind. East Germany had to be rebuilt because the infrastructure was outdated, roads had to be renewed and machines still used belt drives etc, etc. Only the truth helps the future and the so-called colonised countries’ traditional leaders must be made accountable, too.…

Ingredients 3 Onions, peeled and cut into 6 wedges each (keep the root end intact so the wedges don’t fall apart) 3 Tbsp butter 2 Tbsp brown sugar 3 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar 3 Sprigs thyme, leaves stripped off Salt and pepper to taste About 200g puff pastry (½ a roll) 500g boerewors 2 Tbsp olive oil Rocket for serving Method Preheat the oven to 200°C. Melt the butter in the pan and add the onion quarters, cook until golden on one side (about 5 minutes) and turn carefully so the wedges don’t fall apart. Add the sugar and cook over a low heat until the sugar melts, then add the thyme and season well with salt and pepper. Add the vinegar and cook for about 2 minutes. If you…

Your Friday edition (“Non-striking Transnet workers attacked in EC”) refers. Already the violence commences. People are desperate and know that if they don’t work while on strike they won’t earn. Many have to work just to put the minimum amount of food on the table. The unions could quite easily have put aside funds to pay employees while they are on strike but just never did. Union bosses still earn handsome salaries while their members are out on strike and starving. It becomes reckless for the unions to even call for a strike when they know they can’t sustain their members who will be standing behind the picket lines earning nothing at all.…

Iraqi lawmakers have elected a new president who swiftly named a prime minister in the hope of ending a year of political gridlock and deadly violence. But major challenges lie ahead for the crisis-hit nation. Iraqi firebrand cleric Moqtada Sadr’s movement said it refused to join a new government under prime minister-designate Mohammad Sudani. “We stress our firm and clear refusal for any of our affiliates to participate ... in this government formation led by the current candidate,” Mohammed Saleh al-Iraqi, an associate of Sadr’s, said on Twitter. On Thursday, the Iraqi parliament elected Abdul Latif Rashid, 78, as the country’s new president. He named Sudani as prime minister-designate and instructed him to form a government. Sudani’s nomination for the post of prime minister sparked protests in July. He…

Momentum to legalise cannabis is increasing around the world. Recreational use of the drug, with some restrictions, is legal in countries such as Canada, Mexico and South Africa. Germany’s coalition government plans to join that list. In Bermuda, the idea was to bring British island territory’s drug laws into the 21st century. So the government in the Atlantic archipelago of 64 000 people approved legislation to liberalise the code. All that remained to enact it was the assent of the governor, the British monarch’s representative in the territory – usually a formality. But in “Mother Britain”, there was a problem. The foreign secretary had concluded that the bill would put Britain in violation of international drug control treaties that forbid signatories from permitting the recreational use of cannabis. And so…

Cyprus has launched an EU-funded project to link the eastern island to Europe’s electricity grid via an undersea power cable billed as the world’s longest and deepest. The EU has approved funding for the 1 200km cable to Greece, which will end the island’s “energy isolation” as the only member state without any gas or electricity connection. There are also plans for the construction of an electricity link between Asia and Europe, IANS reported, quoting a statement by the European Commission. A second interconnector between Egypt and Europe through Cyprus is also envisaged in the future. |…

OSLO: Norway police arrested a Russian man at the airport in the Arctic town of Tromsoe and charged him with flying a drone, they said on Saturday, marking the second such arrest in one week. Police seized a large amount of photographic gear, including a drone and several memory cards, during Friday’s arrest of the 51-year-old, who had admitted to flying the drone in Norway, police said. Sanctions laws forbid Russian companies or citizens from operating aircraft in Norway. Norway has increased its alertness levels in response to a number of drone sightings close to its oil and gas infrastructure and to the leaks on the Nord Stream gas pipeline.…

Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus has paid tribute to former Proteas fast bowler Morne Morkel after the team’s momentous victory over Sri Lanka in the opening game of the T20 World Cup in Geelong yesterday. The Namibians shocked the 2014 T20 world champions by posting a competitive 163/7, with a 69-run partnership off just 33 balls between two-thirds of the “Bomb Squad”, consisting of Jan Frylinck (44 off 28 balls) and JJ Smit (31 not out off 16 balls), setting up the total. However, it was the bowling unit, led by Morkel from the sidelines as the bowling coach, that dismantled Sri Lanka for just 108 in 19 overs. Frylinck backed up his earlier batting heroics with 2/26, while another former Proteas all-rounder David Wiese (2/16), Bernard Scholtz (2/18) and Ben…