Table of contents for 2023-05-17 in Cape Times

IN SOUTH Africa, the conversation around energy is intensifying. As we grapple with the impact of load shedding and a strained national grid, there’s a growing consensus that we need to expedite our transition to renewable energy, particularly solar. With most of South Africa receiving about 2 500 hours of sunshine per year, and solar radiation levels between 4.5 and 6.5kW/h per m² daily, the country’s abundant solar resources makes solar one of the cheapest sources of energy currently available to South Africans. Solar provides a promising solution to the load-shedding crisis, offering both immediate relief and long-term sustainability. Innovative financing models and business strategies, particularly from financial institutions, have made solar energy accessible and feasible not only for households, but also for commercial, industrial and utility scales. Sapvia…

Eastern Cape opposition party leaders have called for Premier Oscar Mabuyane to step down over allegations of academic fraud. According to a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) report, Mabuyane allegedly solicited the assistance of former University of Fort Hare professor Edwin Ijeoma, his team of “research assistants”, and ghostwriters to help with his Master’s proposal, despite not having an honours degree. It is alleged that Mabuyane lied about the details surrounding his research proposal to obtain a Master’s and PhD degree in public administration from Fort Hare University, with only a BCom degree. According to the report, Mabuyane paraphrased and added bits of information to “his” Master’s proposal, while Ijeoma and his team did most of the work. DA Eastern Cape leader in the provincial legislature, Nqaba Bhanga, said Mabuyane must…

DA’s ‘divide and rule’ stance slammed THE Department of Employment and Labour has stuck to its guns over Employment Equity targets which have been published for public comment, despite a push-back by opposition parties. The amended Employment Equity Act of 1998 empowers the Minister of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi to set employment equity targets for economic sectors and prescribe demographic targets for employers with more than 50 employees in the form of 5-year milestones towards achieving the equitable representation of the various groups in respective economic sectors. Nxesi released his draft targets across 18 economic sectors and across all provinces, but has come under fire over among others, the targets effectively “banning” the so-called coloured population group from employment in certain provinces, where employment targets are as low…

The Home Affairs Department is drafting a bill that will clamp down on people who fraudulently manufacture ID documents or are in unlawful possession of such documentation. In terms of the proposed National Identification Registration Bill, those found to be on the wrong side of the law may face fines of up to R100 000 or be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. Those who make false representations will face a fine of R20 000. The public is now able to make written comments on the bill, which aims to come up with a single identification system for the country. The bill, when it becomes law, will apply to permanent residents and foreigners who sojourn temporarily for a period of time and also provide for the compilation and…

A FORMER senior Spur employee will appeal against a Labour Court decision after he was interdicted and restrained from soliciting business for his new employer and direct industry competitor, the Bossa Group. The Cape Town Labour Court recently handed down the judgment against Rudolph Montgomery who was a development manager at the Spur Group, chiefly responsible for the applicant’s Panarottis Pizza Pasta and Casa Bella brands. Montgomery resigned from the eatery group in May last year – having worked for the family restaurant business since 2012. The restraint and interdict is valid until May 31, 2024. Montgomery’s legal representative, Jesse Barrington-Smith from De Waal Boshoff Attorneys, said they would appeal against the decision. “We are in the process of taking instructions in this regard. “I can therefore not provide further…

Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) students who were abruptly evacuated from residences have no idea yet when they will return as university management and the Student Representative Council (SRC) continue with engagements. Meetings to resolve student grievances began on Monday and continued yesterday. Last week management and the student leaders started engagements, but these collapsed and violent protests saw buildings and vehicles torched. The Western Cape High Court granted the university an interim interdict in an effort to prevent all students from unlawful conduct, including violence and damage to the university’s property. The interdict applies to the Bellville, District Six, Mowbray, Wellington and Granger Bay campuses. The matter is expected to be heard on May 29. However, the destruction to institutional infrastructure continued and CPUT decided to implement emergency…

I WANT to comment on the interest rate hike, as I am one of the many citizens of this now very messed up South Africa that can’t keep up. My fridge has never been as empty as it has been since 2022/2023, and to be honest I love giving and sharing with the less fortunate, but I have to send people away when they knock or ask for a piece of bread. I, too, am part of the “have nots” since the repo rate increased, electricity tariffs increased, petrol increased – sad to say, and I bet everyone else around me just struggles to keep afloat. I am a single, divorced parent who purchased a new house and with the repo rate up and another hike upon us, I have…

‘It is essential to our democratic sovereignty as a country’ During the course of the previous week, there was breaking news pertaining to South Africa’s relationship with Russia. It was reported that the South African government had allegedly traded arms to Russia. Naturally, when the news broke, there was a buzz around what that could mean for South Africa. In context, the government has always claimed a stance of neutrality and non-interventionist action in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This is viewed as a dubious position from opponents of the ANC-led government, mainly the opposition party, the DA. The mere thought of the government covertly supporting Russia with arms sparked controversy over the future of South Africa-US relations. The US has publicly given military aid to Ukraine. But now we have more…

OpenAI, the start-up behind ChatGPT, wants the US to consider mandating licenses for companies to develop powerful artificial intelligence like the kind underpinning its chatbot, its chief executive told Congress yesterday. In his first appearance before a congressional panel, CEO Sam Altman is set to advocate licensing or registration requirements for AI with certain capabilities, his written testimony shows. That way, the US can hold companies to safety standards, for instance testing systems before their release and publishing the results. “Regulation of AI is essential,” Altman said. For months, companies large and small have raced to bring increasingly dexterous AI to market, throwing endless data and billions of dollars at the challenge. Some critics fear the technology will exacerbate societal harms, among them prejudice and misinformation, while others warn AI…

KHARTOUM: The death toll in the clashes between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has climbed to 822, the Sudanese Doctors Union said. “The number of civilian deaths since the beginning of the clashes has climbed to 822, with 3 215 injuries,” the union said. Witnesses said clashes broke out yesterday between units of the Sudanese Army and RSF fighters in Jabra, in the south of Khartoum, and areas east of the capital. RSF said in video clips it had seized Al-Kadro camp in Bahri town, a major camp of the Sudanese Army. This has been denied. There have been clashes between the Sudanese Army and the RSF since April 15. | Xinhua…

Paris: A total of 14 people are set to face trial in France over the beheading of a teacher by an Islamist extremist in 2020, a crime that shocked the country. The most serious charges – complicity in a terrorist murder – are being pressed against two friends of the Chechen refugee who murdered teacher Samuel Paty after he showed pictures of the Prophet Muhammad to his pupils, the legal documents reveal. The killer, Abdullakh Anzorov, 18, was shot dead by police in a Paris suburb. Prosecutors believe two friends accompanied Anzorov to buy a knife. Another six adults will be tried for associating with terrorists. | AFP…

SEOUL: Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, met South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol yesterday and asked for non-lethal military assistance for her country, South Korea’s presidential office said. Zelenska, the wife of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is visiting South Korea to participate in a media conference. Zelenska told Yoon that she hoped to get support for Ukraine in the form of non-lethal military equipment such as mine detectors, Yoon’s spokesperson, Lee Do-woon, said. Yoon said South Korea would help the Ukrainian people, Lee said. Zelenska raised the possibility of Yoon visiting Ukraine. She also called for “more radical” support for Ukraine to fight against Russian aggression. South Korea, a major producer of artillery shells, has said it was not providing lethal weapons to Ukraine. But Yoon has said that his government…

THE allegations of fraudulently obtaining two degrees came back to haunt Public Service and Administration Minister Noxolo Kiviet yesterday when the DA called her an “alleged fraudster”. This was when Kiviet made her maiden budget speech during a mini debate yesterday. DA MP Leon Schreiber said President Cyril Ramaphosa took a full year to appoint a permanent minister to head the department. “For a full year, a department with only an acting minister had to undertake the important work of wage negotiations, of managing disciplinary matters, of capacitating institutions like the Public Service Commission “When the president finally did appoint a new minister earlier this year, he sent a second message to the public service. That it is fine to appoint alleged fraudsters to positions of power,” Schreiber said. His…

A STELLENBOSCH University (SU) student has raised safety concerns in one of the university’s residences for men following incidents of theft and burglary. The student, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation, said they had complained about the Helderberg Mens’ Residence to the university, but their complaints were ignored. The university yesterday said three security- related incidents were reported during the past year. In one incident, a student’s room was burgled after a door was left unlocked. The student said: “One of the main concerns is the safety of the residents. The primary gate to the residence has been broken for months and left open, which has resulted in the theft of belongings and bicycles. With the ongoing issue of load shedding, the residence, which is one of…

YOUR article of May 15 (ANC banks on social grants to win elections next year) refers: I find it profoundly disturbing that President Ramaphosa seems to believe he is owed votes in exchange for social grants. Social welfare is not something to be held over the head of ordinary South Africans; it is a basic and vital social service that the government should be doing better at. It is even more frustrating to see the president claiming credit for the successes of the social welfare system when those successes have been intermittent at best. The fact is that the ANC has allowed the social welfare system in South Africa to become an omnishambles, with SASSA routinely failing to pay grants on time and correctly. Those grants that do get paid…

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party came out on top in Sunday’s elections in 10 of the 11 provinces hit by February’s earthquakes, with analysts saying his vow to rebuild devastated cities had reassured voters in what are mostly AKP strongholds. The ruling party’s strong showing, defying initial expectations in February that the quakes would hurt its support, was also driven by doubts about the opposition’s ability to meet voters’ expectations. Nationwide, the Islamist-rooted AKP won a new parliamentary majority with its alliance partners, while Erdogan, 69, led comfortably in the presidential vote ahead of a runoff with his main rival on May 28. The powerful earthquakes on February 6 killed more than 50 000 people and left millions homeless in Türkiye, causing destruction across 11 provinces from Adana near…

Libya’s eastern-based parliament voted yesterday to replace Fathi Bashagha as prime minister, its spokesperson said, after he failed to take office in Tripoli where the incumbent Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah has refused to cede power. The parliament assigned Bashagha’s finance minister Osama Hamad to take over his duties, parliament spokesperson Abdullah Belhaiq said, part of a new push to oust Dbeibah and install a new government in Tripoli. Bashagha was appointed in March 2022 but his efforts to enter Tripoli and take office ended in battles between factions aligned with him and others aligned with Dbeibah. He has had to operate outside Tripoli with no control of state finances. He wrote to the parliament saying he was handing his duties over to his deputy Ali Qatrani. He did not say whether he…

Tanthirimale: Villagers stormed a remote government office in Sri Lanka yesterday, officials said, a day after a herd of up to 50 elephants ravaged farmers’ fields near a wildlife reserve. In what local farmers said was the biggest such incident involving the protected animals in recent memory, the elephants munched through nearly half their crops across seven villages in the island’s north. Wildlife officials drove the herd away from villages with fire crackers. Farmers and officials rushed to a school fearing the elephants could harm students. Farmers stormed the office of divisional secretary Manjari Chandradasa in Mahawilachchiya, to demand that action be taken. | AFP…

ROME: Two skeletons have been found in the ruins of Pompeii, the ancient Roman city wiped out by an eruption of volcano Mount Vesuvius nearly 2 000 years ago, the Italian Culture Ministry said yesterday. The skeletons recovered from a building are probably that of two men in their 50s who died in an earthquake that accompanied the eruption, it said. Pompeii Archaeological Park also said they were killed not by volcanic ash but by collapsing buildings. Pompeii, 23km southeast of Naples, was home to about 13 000 people when it was buried under ash amid an eruption – equivalent to many atomic bombs– in the year 79 AD. | Reuters…

Competition for spots in the Proteas starting XI for the Cricket World Cup will intensify in various departments, but most intensely in the battle for the all-rounder spot. Marco Jansen has taken the world by storm from the time he made his international debut against India on Boxing Day in 2021. His natural ability to step up against top opposition was the most impressive factor in Jansen’s game. Since then, it was clear that the youngster could play any format for South Africa, and fast forward to a couple of years later, Jansen is a regular in the Sunrisers Hyderabad team in the IPL and also for the Proteas, a feat that is testament to the youngster’s invaluable contributions in a playing XI. In the same breath, the resurrection…

A STUDY has compared the effectiveness of a low-fat diet versus a Mediterranean diet in reducing cardiovascular disease risk, using MRI scans to measure artery health. Results showed that those on the Mediterranean diet had greater improvements in artery health and that these improvements were associated with higher levels of healthy fats in the blood. The study highlights the importance of comparing diets based on their specific components, rather than focusing on overall calorie or fat content. It found that the diet’s high-fat content, primarily from olive oil and nuts, doesn’t lead to weight gain or increased risk of heart disease. The participants who followed the Mediterranean diet had a lower risk of heart disease than those who followed a low-fat diet. The Mediterranean diet includes foods like nuts, fish…

THE Special Investigating Unit (SIU) is seeking a new proclamation to investigate serious maladministration and improper conduct at Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa). This was revealed yesterday by the SIU’s Mike Koya when he briefed the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) on the work that they have done at the entity. “SIU is busy with a motivation submitted to the Department of Justice for a new proclamation. “It (new proclamation) will deal with matters reported in the Zondo Commission. The motivation is sitting with the Department of Justice,” Koya said. The proposed proclamation comes hot on the heels of the completion of an investigation of another proclamation. “We are busy reviewing the presidential report which should be with the president by June 30,” he said. The SIU has…

AS THE unemployment rate continues to climb, economists and academics warn that the continued stringent power cuts and foreign relation concerns pose serious threats to South Africa’s already strained economy. Statistics SA unpacked the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for the first quarter of 2023 yesterday, where it emerged that South African youth aged 15 to 34 remain the most vulnerable in the labour market with unemployment increasing by 241 000 to 4.9 million people who are jobless. The official unemployment rate in the country increased to 32.9% – this was up from 39.7% in the fourth quarter of 2022. Also in the first quarter, the number of employed persons increased by 258 000 compared to 16.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2022. “The number…

A large producer of wire and steel products has been successful in getting the Competition Tribunal to decide its case against the Emfuleni Local Municipality in Gauteng, which it accuses of charging excessive prices for electricity. The Tribunal ruled it did have jurisdiction to hear and decide the case, after Cape Gate (Pty) Ltd self-referred a complaint to the Tribunal against the municipality, accusing it of contravening the Competition Act by charging it excessive prices for electricity since 2017. Cape Gate self-referred the complaint to the Tribunal after the Competition Commission decided to non-refer the matter. The municipality argued the Tribunal did not have jurisdiction to hear Cape Gate’s complaint, because it fell within the National Energy Regulator of SA’s (Nersa) investigatory powers. It argued Cape Gate should have exhausted…

Prominent lawyer Barnabus Xulu has blamed “reckless” journalism after his family became the targets of five armed suspects who made off with valuable items during a house robbery in Camps Bay yesterday. Xulu, who is currently out of the country, confirmed the robbery at a home in Camps Bay where the family has been living while his Fresnaye property is under renovation. Xulu said he would be making his way home soon to ensure the safety of his family. SAPS spokesperson, Frederick van Wyk, confirmed the armed house robbery along Hely Hutchinson Avenue at 13.22pm. Van Wyk said five men entered the home – one of them armed with a firearm and another armed with a knife. Van Wyk said two men were locked up in the toilet while the…

THE drama, intrigue and diplomatic confrontation over the visit of the Russian vessel Lady R involves a plethora of role-players who are acutely aware that concealment and deception will only complicate an already murky and evolving situation. International hypocrisy and double standards are glaringly evident as the US and South Africa shadow-box before a global audience.The trade in armaments is a cloak-and-dagger operation that is conducted under stealth and denial. The puzzling aspect of the claim by the US that SA-supplied arms to Russia during December 6-8 is mind-boggling. SA has vehemently denied supplying any arms to Russia. Captured arms by the Ukraine forces have revealed weapons from many parts of the world, yet none from South Africa. Our weapons do not have the capacity to change the battle order…

THERE exists a self-righteous tendency among self-appointed radicals and black spokespersons to criticise and condemn black super-achievers who are successful in a supremacist and capitalist economic system. I guess it does not sit well with some to witness ordinary folk from our kind of people and background – poor working class – suddenly rise to earn R5 million per annum. There are some who see this criticism of super-achievers as a mentality where blacks do not celebrate the few who make it. What we need to understand about black excellence is that it subscribes to the same rules of the white supremacist capitalist games. You must serve the interests of the white patriarchs for you to succeed beyond your wildest dreams. Frankly, in most instances, the super achievement and success…

Rohingya families in cyclone-hit Myanmar buried loved ones outside shattered villages and searched the seashore for the missing, expecting little help from a government that denies their identity. Cyclone Mocha snapped bridges, downed power lines and ruptured close-lying huts in displacement camps and villages across Rakhine state, leaving tens of thousands of the persecuted minority even more on the edge. Yesterday, many were trying to pick through piles of debris that had once roofed their homes or clear fallen trees from village paths. Others were looking for family members not seen since the cyclone made landfall. It was the most powerful storm to hit the region in over a decade. Dozens were reported dead and more than 100 were missing. “We were trying to run but the water was very…

Artificial sweeteners, used to replace sugar in a vast range of products, do not help in losing weight and can have serious health effects, according to the World Health Organization. The UN health agency has released new guidelines advising against using so-called non-sugar sweeteners or NSS. A review of available evidence “suggests use of NSS does not confer any long- term benefit in reducing body fat”. Results “suggest that there may be potential undesirable effects from long-term use of NSS, such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and mortality in adults”. The WHO said its new recommendation applied to everyone except those with pre-existing diabetes. It includes all synthetic and naturally occurring or modified sweeteners not classified as sugars found in manufactured foods and beverages…

KYIV: Ukrainian air defences intercepted 18 attempted Russian strikes on Kyiv yesterday, including six hypersonic missiles, military and city authorities said, largely foiling one of Moscow’s fiercest attacks. Falling missile debris injured at least three people in Kyiv and caused damage to the city’s zoo and other central areas, officials said. The assault “was exceptional in its density – the maximum number of missile attacks in the shortest period of time,” said Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s city military administration. Ukrainian officials claimed a perfect interception rate, and credited Western-donated Patriot air defence systems. | Reuters…

Washington: Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is being sued for sexual harassment by a former employee. Noelle Dunphy, who says she was hired by Giuliani’s firm in 2019 when he was working as former US president Donald Trump’s lawyer, filed the $10 million (R190m) civil case in New York state this week. The lawsuit says Giuliani made it clear that satisfying his sexual demands was an “absolute requirement of her employment”. Dunphy is also suing him for refusing to pay her a promised $1 million salary for the role. Giuliani denies the claims. | IANS…