Table of contents for 2022-12-14 in Cape Times

from page 1 to reject the panel report would go down in history as one of the lowest points in Parliament’s history. “With hindsight, the revelations of the panel report were to be the fulcrum on which the prospects of the governing ANC, and therefore opposition parties, turned. “But for a victory so longed for, it feels like one unaccompanied by a sense of hope. Instead, the message from Luthuli House seems reminiscent of a military government that has taken control after an unruly revolution – order must be restored,” Nyembezi said. He also said the courageous act by some ANC MPS to vote in favour of the report demonstrated deep divisions within the ANC over combating corruption. “If victory in blocking the impeachment process means that the ANC is…

ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) member Tony Yengeni has written to the party’s electoral committee, appealing his ban to contest for a position on the NEC at the party’s elective conference this week. Yengeni lodged the appeal with the committee's chairperson Kgalema Motlanthe yesterday, stating that the reasons for his ban were invalid because his record had been expunged. He was disqualified together with former ANC Women’s League president Bathabile Dlamini last week from standing for nominations for a position in the NEC as a result of having been criminally charged. Yengeni was found guilty of fraud, after being accused of getting an unlawful discount on a Mercedes-Benz he had purchased, which earned him four years’ imprisonment. Dlamini was found guilty for perjury in relation to her testimony during an…

500g diced pumpkin, steamed 2 tsp (10ml) paprika 1 tsp (5ml) nutmeg Salt and pepper to taste 2 stalks spring onion, finely chopped or a ¼ onion, finely chopped 4 cups baby spinach, wilted 2 rounds (about 200g) feta cheese, crumbled 8 lasagne sheets Tomato sauce 1 tbs (15ml) olive oil 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 cans diced tomatoes ¼ cup reserved pasta water Salt and milled pepper to taste 1 tsp (5ml) white sugar Handful basil leaves, torn ½ cup (125ml) grated Marksbury Select Parmigiano Reggiano Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook until translucent, 2-3 mins. Add tomato, water, salt and pepper. Stir and reduce heat to medium, simmer for 5 mins. Add ½…

THE year 2022 is the centenary of two rebellions; one, the Rand Revolt by white miners, got big publicity in the mainstream media. Their revolt was crushed, but the white miners had the vote. Two years later they voted out General Smuts’ government, and voted for the Pact Government, which passed industrial conciliation and colour bar statutes giving the white miners their victory. The other rebellion was by the Bondelswarts in Namibia, then called South-West Africa. Bondelswarts are black, so this received almost no publicity in the mainstream newspapers. This year cannot be allowed to end without reminding a new generation of their history. Under German rule the Bondelswarts were left with 3% of their previous pasturage. The South African government considered its mandate a “sacred trust” to perpetuate the…

January 1, 2023 marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa. On this festive occasion, on behalf of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Durban, I would like to express my highest respect and heartfelt thanks to those friends from all walks of life in KwaZulu-Natal province (KZN) who have contributed to the establishment of diplomatic relations and the development of friendly co-operation between China and South Africa! The people of China and South Africa share a profound friendship. In the last century, China firmly supported the just struggle of the South African people against apartheid, established and maintained friendly relations with South African national liberation organisations such as the African National…

The European Parliament yesterday took a first step to restore its credibility, amid allegations of corruption linked to World Cup host Qatar, moving to ditch one of its own vice-presidents. At the same time, in a first reaction since she was charged in a Belgian anti-graft probe, Greek socialist MEP Eva Kaili’s lawyer declared her innocent, saying she “has nothing to do with Qatar’s bribes”. But, as the 44-year-old former TV news presenter waited in a Brussels jail cell, her colleagues in the Strasbourg parliament were to vote to strip her of her vice-president’s role. The parliament’s president, Maltese conservative Roberta Metsola, convened the leaders of political groups before calling on MEPs to vote “on the early termination of office of Vice-President Eva Kaili”. Kaili’s fellow MEPs are scrambling to…

Joanna Lumley says women used to be “a lot tougher” before being a “victim” became “the new fashion”. The actress, 76, has addressed the #MeToo movement – which has seen people speak out against sexual abuse and harassment – and says people have “gone mad”. “If someone whistled at you in the street, it didn’t matter. If someone was groping, we slapped their hands,” she said.“We were quite tough and looked after ourselves … The new fashion is to be a victim, a victim of something. It’s pathetic,” she said. | Bang Showbiz…

LONDON: UK rail workers yesterday began a two-day national strike, kicking off a month of walkouts involving nurses to passport control workers that could spell Christmas misery for millions. Rush hour commuters faced a battle to get to work as thousands of members of the country’s biggest rail union, the RMT, launched their latest stoppage over a below-inflation pay offer. Braving the ice and snow that has already hit travellers, picketers appeared at railway stations. Postal workers are on a two-day strike from today, nurses are set to walk out for the first time in their union’s 106-year history tomorrow over pay, and rail workers will hold another two-day strike from Friday. | AFP…

London: Researchers have made a breakthrough in the quest to unlock a “near-limitless, safe, clean” source of energy – they have got more energy out of a nuclear fusion reaction than they put in. Nuclear fusion involves smashing together light elements such as hydrogen to form heavier elements, releasing a huge burst of energy in the process. The approach has been hailed as having huge potential as a sustainable, low-carbon energy source. Since such research began in the 1950s, researchers have been unable to demonstrate a positive energy gain, known as ignition. Now they have managed to release 2.5MJ of energy after using just 2.1MJ to heat the fuel with lasers. | IANS…

Let me just get this off my chest: It is ridiculous that Ryan Rickelton and Tony de Zorzi are not on tour with the Proteas in Australia at the moment. Lions left-hander Rickelton was omitted from the trip Down Under due to a lingering ankle problem that he has insisted is under control, but Cricket South Africa did not budge from their selection policy of not picking injured players. But Rickelton, who was part of the last Test squad, has shown just how “injured” he is with a thrilling run of form in domestic cricket, with scores of 15, 100 not out, 108 not out, 17, 126 and 99 in his last six innings in four-day and one-day cricket. Hopefully CSA can realise their mistake and get him – and…

ZEDA Limited, an integrated mobility solutions provider, listed its shares yesterday on the main board of the JSE after unbundling from Barloworld in November. Zeda’s shares yesterday traded at the start of the day at R18, but by 4pm were at R16.69, 7.28% lower. In an interview, Zeda’s CEO, Ramasela Ganda, said: “I’m very emotional … Today is a day of mixed emotion. Leaving Barloworld after so many years, it’s tough, but also it’s exciting. The possibility that lies ahead of us and that people can now invest directly in Zeda.” She said Zeda was led by an experienced management team who were committed and worked very hard through the unbundling process, but at the same time, delivering exceptional returns. “To do what we’ve done in a short period, recovering…

from page 1 instance on an important question that has not been the subject of judicial scrutiny by other courts. “This court should have the benefit of the high court and the Supreme Court of Appeal’s reasoning on whether the reports of the independent panel are reviewable and how the rules of Parliament relating to impeachment should be interpreted.” Zungula also said the application did not present narrow questions of law other than factual analysis and findings of the panel. He charged that the report of the panel was not reviewable as a matter of principle. The court held that investigation reports that are merely recommendatory in nature are not reviewable because they are not final decisions capable of creating direct consequence. “Parliament’s rules on impeachment are clear in…

THE damning Section 89 independent panel report, which found that President Cyril Ramaphosa may have committed serious violations of the Constitution, is not reviewable. Even if it was, Ramaphosa had not made out a case for this relief. Moreover, the Constitutional Court, which Ramaphosa has approached to have the report reviewed and set aside should not be the first and last instance on an important question not subjected to judicial scrutiny by other court. This is the crux of ATM leader Vuyo Zungula’s affidavit filed in the Constitutional Court to oppose Ramaphosa’s application to challenge the report on the Farmgate scandal. Ramaphosa filed court papers on December 5 following the Section 89 report conclusion that the information placed before the panel disclosed, prima facie, that Ramaphosa may have committed serious…

THE SA National Space Agency (Sansa) has signed an agreement to support the United Arab Emirates’ first moon mission. The Sansa agreement with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) will support the Emirates Lunar Mission (ELM). As a payload on iSpace Hakuto-R M1 mission, the Rashid Rover lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, in the US, on Sunday. The centre will use Sansa Hartebeeshoek Ground Station in Krugersdorp to establish direct communication between the rover and the ELM Control Centre at MBRSC in the UAE, after the rover lands on the moon’s surface. “Lunar missions are complex, amassed with daunting challenges, and have little to no room for error. “On this backdrop, we are approaching the planned support activities with…

The Bureau for Economic Research’s (BER) Other Services Survey results show that this year the domestic tourism industry will probably experience its first “normal” summer holiday season post-lockdown. The Other Services sector is made up by hotels, restaurants, transport, real estate and business services. As Covid-19 restrictions sharply cut back the number of foreign visitors to the country, the return of international tourism has led to recovery in hospitality and transport, the survey shows. The survey was conducted among 350 firms from October to November this year. “Confidence in the transport sector rose sharply from 27 to 94 in the fourth quarter of 2022. This is the highest level of confidence since 2006 Q4. “Confidence amid hoteliers and restaurateurs also turned more upbeat, rising by an impressive 20 points to…

THE family of a pregnant 15-year-old from Browns Farm, Philippi, say they are concerned for the young girl’s future and want answers about how she ended up in this position. The young woman is among a growing number of teenage pregnancies recorded in South Africa. The 15-year-old is currently in Grade 7. Her family said they only became aware of her pregnancy after seeing her growing stomach. It is suspected that she was impregnated by a man from the community who allegedly took advantage of her disadvantaged background, by buying her food. The girl’s grandfather said the family was seeking answers. “We don’t know how she got pregnant. We just saw that her stomach was growing. She is my grandchild. She told her grandmother but they said she was scared…

THIS is an open letter to the CEOs of Pick n Pay, Checkers and to whom it may apply. What an unpleasant experience shopping at these stores has become. Trying to address my grievances as a customer in an in-house capacity was an exercise in futility. My letter to Pick n Pay’s head office, highlighting decade-long issues with staff behaviour, apart from a polite email assuring me the issues would be addressed, has not culminated in any observable change in ethics. What makes shopping such an unsavoury experience is the demeanour of floor staff, packers etc, which reflects their, and ultimately their bosses’ ignorance, of what constitutes respect and consideration for the well-being of the customer, who ultimately pays their salaries. There is no more a “You first” demeanour by…

LAST WEEK, People’s Liberation Army soldiers approached the notional border in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh in far north-eastern India claimed by China, leading to a face-off and “minor injuries to few personnel from both sides”, the Indian army said yesterday. It said both sides quickly withdrew from the area and local commanders met to discuss the dispute. Appearing before the Indian parliament yesterday Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accused Chinese troops of crossing into Indian territory and “disrupting the status quo unilaterally”. Singh said the two sides were engaged in hand-to-hand combat and no Indians were killed or badly hurt. Asked about India’s allegations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said he had no details. He said in general the border situation was “stable”. “The two…

Floods caused by heavy rains swept across parts of DR Congo’s capital Kinshasa yesterday, in one case killing at least nine people when their home collapsed. At least 50 people have been killed. Major roads in the centre of Kinshasa, a city of some 15 million people, were submerged. A landslide took place in the hilly Mont-Ngafula district, cutting off a key supply route linking the capital with the Atlantic Ocean port of Matadi. Floods also inundated streets in the up-market government district of Gombe, which houses ministries and embassies. Located on the Congo River, Kinshasa has seen a huge population influx in recent years. Many dwellings are shanty houses built on flood-prone slopes and the city suffers from inadequate drainage and sewerage. In 2019, around 40 people died in…

Brasília: Brazilian president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva broke down in tears this week at a ceremony ratifying his election win, which cemented the veteran leftist’s comeback for a third presidential term. The 77-year-old ex-metalworker was overcome with emotion as he praised “the boldness of the Brazilian people in handing this document to someone who’s been attacked so many times for not having a university diploma.” Lula, who is set to be inaugurated on January 1, defeated far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in the run-off. The former president (2003-2010) was jailed for more than 18 months on controversial charges stemming from a massive corruption probe. Lula, who denies wrongdoing, was released in November 2019. He was cleared to run in this year’s elections. Thousands of Bolsonaro protesters blocked roads and rallied…

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu pledged yesterday to balance religious and secular interests as he tries to form a new government with nationalist and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties. Netanyahu has come under fire from outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid and anti-corruption groups, warning that demands from his future partners will erode Israel’s democracy. Agreements have been reached with factions that call for ending a ban on Jewish prayer at a site in Jerusalem’s Old City. Netanyahu is still in talks with ultra-Orthodox groups. Netanyahu has until December 21 to finalise a government. | Reuters…

Usman Khawaja may not be the Kevin Pietersen of the Australian side, but the classy left-hander has had to take some criticism from his teammates for being quite friendly with the Proteas team in the past. Khawaja has spoken openly about his relationship with former Proteas batter Hashim Amla, and really enjoyed spending time with him off the field whenever he could. Amla, of course, is no longer with the Proteas having retired from international cricket in 2019, but Khawaja still had fond memories of the South Africans. He, of course, struck a famous century against the Proteas in South Africa’s first-ever pink ball Test at the Adelaide Oval in 2016. It occurred in extremely bizarre circumstances too, with Khawaja receiving an emergency call to open the batting after former…

CHRISTMAS came early for the family of four-year-old Samantha Nwelana of Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, following much needed surgery to repair a hole in her heart. Samantha is one of 13 children whose operations were made possible by the Pelo Foundation and its partners the Busamed Private Hospital Group in Gauteng, and Wings and Wishes, an NGO which transports the children from their homes to the hospital and back. According to the Pelo Foundation, the Eastern Cape province alone has about 500 children who are on the waiting list for heart surgery. Speaking from her home in Mandela Park, a village outside Mthatha, Samantha’s mother Nomfusi said she was relieved that the operation was a success and that her child will for the first time enjoy Christmas like other…

WHILE the ANC was successful in helping President Cyril Ramaphosa escape being hauled before an impeachment committee to account for the Farmgate scandal, the party goes into this weekend’s elective conference with “deep divisions” over combating corruption. This after four MPs – presidential hopeful Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Mervyn Dirks, Supra Mahumapelo and Mosebenzi Zwane – broke ranks with the party when they voted for the adoption of the damning Section 89 report in the National Assembly yesterday. The voting was not without controversy as ANC MP Thandi Mahambehlala initially stated “party line” when asked to cast her ballot and then said “yes” when asked again. She later said the party line meant “no”. The voting procedure over the Section 89 report is likely to face litigation if threats…

U-turn is raising money to open more safe spaces to get more people off the streets I never knew that privacy was a luxury until I became homeless. I have lived in the shelter system for two years. Moving into my own apartment at the beginning of the year felt surreal. I could not believe that the season of homelessness had ended. Living in the shelters, I had a tug-of-war between knowing why there were rules but also yearning for freedom. Our morning would start with a bell that would ring at 5.30am. We had less than 10 minutes to get dressed and brush our teeth, then the bell would ring again as a sign that we had to go to the dining hall for breakfast. Breakfast was always a…

Russia and Ukraine pounded each other’s forces in heavy fighting in the eastern region of Donetsk yesterday as Kyiv’s allies meeting in Paris pledged just over 1 billion euros (roughly R18bn) to help Ukrainians survive the freezing winter. Russian forces are battling to take full control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, two of four territories the Kremlin claims to have annexed in votes rejected by most countries as illegal. Moscow is also attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with waves of missile and drone strikes, at times cutting off electricity for millions of civilians enduring Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. Air raid sirens wailed across the country yesterday afternoon, but there were no immediate reports of new attacks. In Paris, about 70 countries and institutions pledged payments of just…

Ugandan authorities have charged two US foster parents with committing “aggravated torture” against their 10-year-old son, police said yesterday. The couple, both 32 years old, were charged and remanded to Luzira Prison, a maximum security facility on the outskirts of the capital Kampala, police said in a statement. The charges allege that the couple “constantly tortured” the boy between 2020 and 2022, with neighbours sounding the alarm for the child, who attended a school for children with special needs in Kampala. When police raided the house, they found CCTV evidence showing that the child was forced to squat in an “awkward position”, served only cold food and made to sleep on a “wooden platform, without a mattress or bedding,” the statement said. The boy was one of three children fostered…

Washington: Another Covid-19 winter surge is brewing in the US as the key indicators – cases, hospitalisations and deaths – are all increasing, straining hospitals with record number of patients infected by respiratory diseases. The country averaged about 65 569 new cases each day in the week ending December 7, a 49.6% surge from the previous week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An average of more than 4 800 virus-positive Americans were admitted to hospitals each day in the week ending December 6, a 13.8% increase over the week before. Daily Covid-19 deaths were also rising. | IANS…

Lamongan: A bombmaker in the Bali blasts that killed more than 200 people 20 years ago apologised yesterday after his early release from prison stoked the anger of the Australian government, survivors and families of the dead. Umar Patek also vowed to show his “loyalty” to Indonesia. Patek was a member of an Al-Qaeda-linked group that detonated bombs at a bar and nightclub on the Indonesian resort island in 2002, killing 202 people, including 88 Australians. He was freed from prison in the East Java city of Surabaya last week after serving half of his term. Patek was found to have made the bombs used in the assault on Bali. | AFP…