Table of contents for 2023-06-01 in Cape Times

GUESTS at the The President Hotel, affectionately known as Cape Town’s most loved hotel, are in for a surprise, including accommodation, experiences and food and beverage giveaways this month, as well as celebratory room rates. This forms part of the hotel celebrating 25 years of memorable experiences and authentic hospitality since Nelson Mandela opened the rebuilt hotel on June 3, 1998. “The birthday sale and giveaways are our way of saying thank you to our friends of The President, whether first timers or regular guests,” said Jeremy Clayton, director at the hotel. The exclusive birthday rates offer 40% off stays until September 30, 2023 with flexible booking conditions. To take advantage of the offer, all stays must be booked by Saturday by visiting www.presidenthotel.co.za or using the unique link. The…

ANC MP and chief whip Pemmy Majodina used her speech during the Presidency budget vote yesterday to downplay the scathing finding by an independent panel that President Cyril Ramaphosa may have breached his oath of office over the Phala Phala farm scandal. She told MPs in Parliament yesterday that the ANC chose to shoot down the adoption of the report believing that another forum could come to a different conclusion. In their report to National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula in November, the three-member Section 89 panel led by retired chief justice Sandile Ngcobo found that Ramaphosa may have violated a number of laws, with: • A serious violation of section 96(2)(a) of the Constitution. • A serious violation of section 34(1) of Precca (Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities…

700g mutton/lamb pieces/beef 4 potatoes cut in half or quarters 2 tbs oil 1 medium onion, chopped Salt and pepper to taste 5 cloves 1 – 2 green chillies, deseeded and chopped 1 piece stick cinnamon 1 large cabbage Nutmeg Butter Water as needed Heat the oil in a pot. Braise the onions until very brown, add the meat and salt, spices, chillies and cook until the meat is brown and tender; about 40 minutes depending on your meat, adding water (not excessive) to prevent it from burning. In the meantime finely chop your cabbage. Put the chopped cabbage in a colander. Pour boiling water over the cabbage and leave to drain. When the meat is nicely browned add the chopped cabbage in the pot, stir and cook for about…

TO prevent or mitigate cyber threats, the SANDF must increase cyber security awareness among its military officers, offer them appropriate training and education, and purchase the required technology. “Cyber security awareness is necessary for transforming not only the SANDF’s organisational culture concerning how technology is embraced, but also how threats are perceived and eventually mitigated,” said research psychologist and cyber security awareness training specialist Dr Kyle Bester. Bester recently obtained his doctorate in military science at Stellenbosch University. The topic of his thesis was “Exploring the views and perceptions of cyber security among South African military officers”. Bester explored military officers’ views and perceptions of cyber security as these could provide insight into how the SANDF promotes cyber security awareness and mitigates threats. As part of his study, Bester interviewed…

IT WAS with immense sadness that we heard of the sudden death of intellectual icon, Eusebius McKaiser. An elegant professional who exhibited grace and profound logic. His passing has robbed us of one of the most formidable minds in recent times. As a broadcaster he displayed incredible forensic skill. His numerous interviews with top personalities were scintillating. Eusebius was a brilliant academic and an engaging public intellectual whose boldness and political skills remain unmatched in today’s biased media environment. We lost a scholar par excellence, his intellectual excellence dazzled Africa and the world. A media giant whose ideas, views and scholastic skills reverberate globally. He was destined to be a great media personality, he died as a monumental achiever. We will remember him as brilliant and thorough,…

NATO-led peacekeepers stepped up security around a town hall in northern Kosovo yesterday, where hundreds of ethnic Serbs gathered again at the scene of clashes earlier this week that left more than 80 people injured. Nato has decided to deploy hundreds of reinforcements to strengthen Kosovo’s international peacekeeping mission (KFOR) after Monday’s violence in the town of Zvecan. Hundreds of ethnic Serbs rallied outside Zvecan’s town hall yesterday for a third consecutive day and held aloft a huge Serbian flag that stretched over 200m from the municipal building to the town centre. KFOR soldiers encircled the town hall, additionally securing the building with a metal fence and barbed wire. Kosovo’s ethnic Serb minority boycotted local elections in the north last month, allowing ethnic Albanians to take control of local councils…

A global employment divide between high-income and low-income countries is worsening as rising debt levels hit developing countries disproportionately, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said yesterday. It urged nations to offer global financial support on job creation and social protection to help narrow the gap. While global unemployment is expected to fall below pre-pandemic levels to 191 million this year, a rate of 5.3%, low-income countries lag in the recovery process, said the ILO’s 11th edition of the Monitor on the World Of Work. Low-income countries in Africa and the Arab region are unlikely to recover to pre-pandemic levels of unemployment this year, with the jobless rate in North Africa expected to be 11.2% compared to 10.9% in 2019, said the report. Rising debt levels compound challenges facing developing states,…

Hanoi: Faced with record-breaking heat, Vietnam’s capital Hanoi has turned off some street lights to save electricity as demand for airconditioning soars. Parks in the city of 8 million people are now plunged into total darkness after 11pm, while two-thirds of street lights are also switched off at the same hour. In early May, Vietnam recorded its highest-ever temperature, 44.1°C, breaking a previous record set in 2019. The country sweltered under a heatwave in April, and another in late May. Also, severe drought in northern Vietnam means water levels at hydropower dams are 30% to 40% lower than normal. | AFP…

Washington: Former US President Donald Trump has vowed to end birthright citizenship for children of unauthorised immigrants if he wins the 2024 election. The 14th Amendment of the Constitution declares that all “persons born or naturalised in the US” are “citizens of the US and of the State wherein they reside”. “My policy will choke off a major incentive for continued illegal immigration, deter more migrants from coming and encourage many of the aliens Joe Biden has unlawfully let into our country to go back to their home countries,” he said. | IANS…

SPRINGBOK captain Siya Kolisi says the Springboks are feeling the vibe as the world rugby marks 100 days to the World Cup in France. Kolisi is making good progress in his recovery from knee surgery and is almost certain to lead the Boks in their World Cup opener against Scotland on 10 September. “It’s unbelievable to think that it is almost four years since we lifted the Webb Ellis Cup in Japan. The players have been working hard to give us the best possible chance to defend our title,” Kolisi, speaking at the conclusion of the Boks’ training camp in Durban on Wednesday said. “The memories of lifting the trophy, the emotional scenes of the fans waiting at the airport when we arrived home, and lining the streets countrywide on…

MANGOSUTHU University of Technology (MUT) yesterday called for the public to help find the institution’s missing engineering lecturer. The 61-year-old Shan Dwarika, was abducted on Sunday outside his rental property in Sea Cow Lake. CCTV footage shows Dwarika being bundled into his black Honda Suv NJ 21395 by men. Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshuinda said Greenwood Park police have opened a missing persons case and the search for Dwarika is continuing. Yesterday at a media briefing, the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Marcus Ramogale, asked for assistance to find Dwarika. “Dwarika is a very peaceful man who is known for his calm aura. He has been with the institution for more than 26 years, this came as a shock.” According to Ramogale, there had been no information forthcoming about…

AG warns municipalities as irregular and wasteful spend runs into billions NEARLY R6 billion has been lost in fruitless and wasteful expenditure by municipalities in just four years, says Auditor General Tsakani Maluleke . She blamed the local government for their poor decision-making, neglect and inefficiencies for fruitless and wasteful expenditure which amounted to R5.9bn, showing a year-on-year increase since 2019. Maluleke presented her annual audit outcomes of local government and presented observations and insights from the audits of the financial year ended June 30 2022, which covers the first year of the current administration. For the year under review, municipalities had an estimated expenditure budget of R487.12bn to operate and deliver services. “Local government is losing billions of rands each year because of poor decisions, neglect or inefficiencies. Fruitless…

The Cape Flats Safety Forum has raised concerns over much-needed service delivery, after a sharp rise in robberies aimed at City staff. This follows a recent incident involving a Water and Sanitation operational team who were robbed of their cell phones, valuables and money at gunpoint on their way home from work on Saturday. The team had spent the day unblocking drains and sewers, responding to call-out requests from residents in and around the city centre, the City said on Tuesday. The City said that during the incident, senior operational supervisor driver, China Dabongo headed out to Samora Machel, Nyanga and Gugulethu for a 8pm drop-off. While disembarking in Samora Machel, they were targeted by three gunmen who held up the City vehicle, demanding that all valuables in the…

THE MEC for Education in Gauteng was held liable for the damages suffered by two Grade 1 pupils in 2020. At the time, the new gate at a Soshanguve school fell on them as they went to the portable toilets nearby. The mothers of the two children turned to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, to claim damages from the Gauteng Education Department. The mothers of the children – who were only identified as SHN and BAN – blamed the school and the teachers for allowing the children to go to the toilets unsupervised. The children were aged 5 and 6 respectively at the time, and they suffered severe injuries, including multi-bone breaks. The mothers also blamed the accident on shoddy construction work done on the gate and adjacent wall. The…

How many more wanted genocide suspects are roaming freely in our communities? THERE is something instructive to all South Africans about last week’s arrest of one of the world’s most wanted genocide suspects, a 62-year-old Rwandan former police chief, Fulgence Kavishema. He was arrested in Paarl (60km north-east of Cape Town) and charged in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court with playing a leading role in the murder of more than 2 000 people in a church in April 1994. Thousands more greased piglets like him roam freely in our communities, once again raising awareness about the dangers that threaten our collective efforts to promote social cohesion by also integrating foreign nationals in our communities instead of confining them into camps while they wait to be issued permits to remain…

THE doom and gloom that often fills our news pages has made it rather easy for us South Africans to forget the reasons why we are such a resilient nation. Power cuts, the rising cost of living, corruption and, most recently, the Russian arms saga have tainted our nation’s image. But Musa Motha, the South African-born amputee dancer flying our flag high on Britain’s Got Talent with his thrilling contemporary dance piece, is a reminder of why we are proudly South African. For those readers not familiar with him, the 27-year-old from Sebokeng in Gauteng lost his leg after he was diagnosed with childhood cancer. He told the judges that it was his friends who taught and introduced him to dancing. Although the childhood setback meant he would not be…

Anti-LGBTQI bills in Kenya and Uganda have unleashed an unprecedented wave of online disinformation targeting the community, with experts accusing political leaders of spreading falsehoods that put lives at risk. Social media platforms have been rife with false claims, including one alleging Kenya’s president called for the killing of gay people and another that the US ordered Uganda to legalise homosexuality. “Politicians (in Kenya and Uganda) have tapped into populist homophobia to keep themselves relevant to the masses,” said Nairobi-based political analyst and journalist Patrick Gathara. Homosexuality remains taboo across much of Africa, where gay people are often forced to hide their sexual orientation out of fear for their safety. Opinion polls show many East Africans believe the lifestyle of LGBTQI people threatens traditional values. This week it was announced…

BUDAPEST: Hungary recently freed 777 foreigners, mostly Serbian, Ukrainian and Romanian nationals convicted of human trafficking, the directorate of prisons said. Citing overcrowded prisons, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government issued a decree in April allowing the release of nationals convicted of people smuggling, on condition they leave Hungary within 72 hours. The move drew a protest from Austria, a top destination for smuggled migrants heading for the heart of the EU via Hungary from the Balkans. The prison directorate said there were 2 636 people convicted of human trafficking in Hungarian prisons, of whom 808 were foreign citizens eligible for release. | Reuters…

Copenhagen: Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen yesterday delivered a speech to parliament partly written using artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT to highlight the revolutionary aspects and risks of AI. Frederiksen was giving a speech as parliament prepared to close for the summer. “What I have just read here is not from me. Or any other human for that matter,” Frederiksen said part-way into her speech to legislators. “Even if it didn’t always hit the nail on the head... it is both fascinating and terrifying what it is capable of.” ChatGP, which can generate essays, poems and conversations from prompts, has seen billions invested into the field. | AFP…

LOS ANGELES: Prince Harry may face a US visa court fight after his drug revelations in his memoir Spare. The US government could be forced to unseal the 38-year-old’s visa application in court after a think tank has been looking to confirm the Duke of Sussex’s use of cocaine, marijuana, and magic mushrooms was correctly detailed on his visa application. A federal judge would hear the case on June 6, the Margaret Thatcher Centre for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation said. In his memoir, Harry confessed to using cocaine and cannabis, as well as consuming magic mushroom chocolates at a party in 2016. Immigrants seeking entry or permanent residence in the US are required to disclose their history of drug use. Individuals deemed “drug abusers” are classified as “inadmissible”, but…

IN what is arguably the most exciting South Africa A squad in a long time, Independent Media’s Ongama Gcwabe lists five players to keep an eye on as the squad heads over to Sri Lanka for a five-match tour Shukri Conrad and his management team have assembled an exciting group of players in the SA A squad that left for Sri Lanka yesterday. The tour will see the next crop of talent get a taste of international cricket and also provide an opportunity for a few Proteas players to breathe life into their international careers. Matthew Breetzke The youngster has finally turned the corner in his young career, particularly in red-ball cricket and has been selected to be part of the squad for the first time. Matthew Breetzke finished the…

FAIRVEST Property Holdings, the South African landlord for shopping centres, office and industrial real estate, has recorded lower vacancy rates and positive letting activity for its mostly rural and small town property portfolio, with high inflation and power outages casting a shadow on its outlook. Vacancies across its portfolio increased slightly to 5.96% as at the end of its March 2023 interim period. Overall though, Fairvest experienced “positive letting activity and a strong performance” from its portfolio despite “a very challenging economic environment” for South Africa, CEO Darren Wilder said yesterday. The mer-ger between Arrowhead Properties and Fairvest was successfully implemented during the 2022 financial period. For the interim period under review, Fairvest managed to renew 81 505 square metres of the 103 545 square metres…

OPPOSITION parties have called for action following the arrest of an ANC staff member for the alleged rape of a student in George on Sunday. The 46-year-old suspect was released yesterday after appearing in the George Magistrate’s Court on a charge of rape. Police spokesperson Christopher Spies said the matter was being investigated by the George family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit (FCS). “Preliminary investigation into the alleged incident indicates that the victim (25) accompanied a man to a house in Ramaphosa Street, Thembalethu, on Sunday, 28 May 2023 at about 3am. They later went to a room where he violated her.” The suspect was arrested later the same day, said Spies. He said more information pertaining to the next court date had yet to be confirmed and…

FORMER ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule has a week to provide the party with reasons he should not be expelled. The party’s national disciplinary committee found him guilty of misconduct for having tried to suspend President Cyril Ramaphosa as party leader. At the time, Magashule was served with a letter of suspension after he was charged with corruption related to the asbestos case now before the Bloemfontein High Court. The ANC’s step-aside rule compelled him to step aside as all leaders charged with serious misconduct should. Refusing to go down without a fight, Magashule unilaterally announced that he was suspending Ramaphosa as party president. “I have also, in accordance with the powers vested in me as the secretary-general of the ANC, and furthermore in full compliance with the relevant conference resolutions,…

A new solution, known as E-Motive, could provide a major breakthrough in reducing deaths from childbirth-related bleeding, according to a landmark study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) – the loss of more than 500mL of blood within 24 hours after birth – is the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. It affects an estimated 14 million women each year and results in around 70 000 deaths – mostly in low and middle-income countries – equivalent to one death every six minutes. The recommended E-Motive package includes early and accurate detection of PPH using a blood-collection drape. This is complemented by an immediate treatment bundle where indicated, including uterine massage, medicines to contract the womb and stop the bleeding, intravenous fluid administration, an examination,…

AN INVESTIGATOR attached to the police watchdog, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), will make a second court appearance later this week after being arrested for corruption and extortion The officer, who allegedly demanded R5 million from a businessman who ran an illegal ponzi scheme, made his first court appearance yesterday, with his two accomplices, said Hawks spokesperson Philani Nkwalase. “The case against Ipid investigator Khongotela Raymond Mabasa, 48, and Ivan Mogane, 42, was heard today by the Pretoria Magistrates court. “The third suspect was also arrested (on Tuesday) and appeared along with his alleged accomplices. Their case was postponed to June 2 for a formal bail application,” said Nkwalase. Nkwalase said Mabasa and Mogane were arrested on charges of corruption and extortion. The State alleges they colluded with members…

KNYSNA Municipality has remained tight-lipped following MEC of Local Government Anton Bredell’s appointment of a committee to investigate breaches of the code of conduct. Bredell seeks to investigate six municipal appointments made in the last year. The DA had approached the Western Cape High Court for immediate relief following the appointments, saying they were made without any due process, and at an unbudgeted cost of R3 million per annum. Bredell said in light of the number of councillors that had been implicated, he was advised that it would be inappropriate for the municipality to establish a special committee of the municipal council to conduct an investigation. “Given that all those implicated would have to recuse themselves to avoid conflicts of interest, the municipal council itself would not have sufficient members…

The 2024 general election has the potential to change the course of South Africa’s democracy should all young people take to the poll and exercise their democratic right to vote. The youth vote alone can usher in a new dispensation in South African politics and governance. A national network of youth leaders, ACTIVATE! Change Drivers intends to spend this month mobilising young people to vote. The network also plans a national day of demonstration which will see the youth standing at critical intersections of the country, asking the public if South Africa as a nation is truly free. There is a common understanding in the country that a liberation struggle was fought so that we all could be free. But what does freedom mean and has the country realised political…

Sudanese army forces blasted paramilitary bases with artillery in Khartoum yesterday after pulling out of US and Saudi-brokered ceasefire talks, accusing their paramilitary foes of failing to honour their commitments. Mediators have blamed both sides for violating the truce which was supposed to enable secure corridors for delivering aid to an increasingly needy population. In both the north and south of the capital, key bases of commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) came under attack by troops loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, residents said. A witness said there was “heavy artillery fire from army camps” in northern Khartoum, on the 47th day of a war that researchers said has claimed at least 1 800 lives. Another witness reported “artillery blasts on the RSF camp in al-Salha”…

A North Korean satellite launch yesterday ended in failure, sending the booster and payload plunging into the sea, North Korean state media said, and the South’s military said it had recovered parts of the launch vehicle. The new “Chollima-1” satellite launch rocket failed because of instability in the engine and fuel system. The flight was the nuclear-armed state’s sixth satellite launch attempt, and the first since 2016. It was supposed to put North Korea’s first spy satellite in orbit. It prompted emergency alerts and brief evacuation warnings in parts of South Korea and Japan. The notices were withdrawn with no danger or damage reported. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the military was conducting a salvage operation to recover what is believed to be parts of the space launch…

Harare: Zimbabwe will hold nationwide elections on August 23, the government gazette stated yesterday, ending months of speculation over the date. Elections for the National Assembly and local government will also be held that day. President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Zanu-PF party, which has been in power since independence in 1980, will face off against the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) led by Nelson Chamisa. He will be Mnangagwa’s opponent for a second time. Analysts say Chamisa faces an uphill battle this time around, in the face of a clampdown on CCC events and arrests of party officials. | AFP…

TOKYO: Japan’s government will set aside $26 billion (R515bn) for new child care measures in a move likely to add more debt to the industrial world’s heaviest public debt burden. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has vowed to double such spending over the next three years to arrest the country’s dwindling birth rate, even if that means further aggravating the government’s fiscal position. Kishida told ministers yesterday he wanted to increase the planned child care spending, which is top of the agenda for his administration. Births in Japan plunged to a record low in 2022, official estimates show, dropping below 800 000 for the first time, eight years earlier than expected. | AFP…

JON Rahm doesn’t care which tour players compete on when it comes to the Ryder Cup. He wants the best players from Europe and the US going toe-to-toe in what he calls a “beautiful” event. The Europeans were routed two years ago at Whistling Straits, but Rahm teamed with Spanish countryman Sergio Garcia to earn three of their team’s nine points. That partnership won’t be rekindled in Italy this year, with Team Europe captain Luke Donald of England telling Garcia he will not be considered. Garcia left for LIV Golf last year and recently resigned from the DP World Tour along with Englishmen Richard Bland, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, who was removed as Europe’s Ryder Cup captain when he joined the Saudi-backed league. “I’m going…

THE veterans’ (40-49-year-olds) section of this year’s Comrades Marathon is going to be a hotly-contested affair with some big names having expressed a desire to win the gold medal. But what chance any of the contenders emulating the legendary Wally Hayward and Vladimir Kotov, and capturing not only their age category prize but the overall title? Former champion Gift Kelehe believes he can add his name alongside those two Comrades superstars by becoming victorious in the down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban next Sunday. Kotov remains the oldest man to ever win the Comrades Marathon, the Belarusian capturing his third title in 2004 as a 46-year-old. He beat the mark set by Hayward, himself a multiple winner as a veteran, back in 1954 when he was 44. Kelehe, who…