Table of contents for 2023-06-08 in Cape Times

Former president Jacob Zuma plans to appeal yesterday’s Pietermaritzburg High Court’s ruling which set aside his private prosecution of State advocate Billy Downer and News24 journalist Karyn Maughan. Zuma instituted the private prosecution against Downer and Maughan for the alleged leak of documents about his medical condition ahead of an application that was brought for an adjournment of his criminal trial on the grounds of ill health. Downer is the lead prosecutor in the arms deal corruption case in which Zuma is currently on trial in the Pietermaritzburg High Court. In a ruling handed down yesterday, Judges Thokozile Masipa, Gregory Kruger and Jacqui Henriques set the summonses in Zuma’s private prosecution cases aside. They granted interdicts, preventing Zuma from taking any further legal steps or private prosecutions against Downer and…

PARTICIPANTS in Western Cape Provincial Parliament (WCPP) events, media representatives, members of the Cape Town consular corps, job applicants and service providers have been advised to exercise vigilance in respect of their personal information following a WCPP cyber attack. The WCPP yesterday published a notice in accordance with Section 22 of the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (Act 4 Of 2013), of a data breach. On May 23 the WCPP network and information and communications technology (ICT) systems were compromised by a malicious attack which was reported to police and the State Security Agency. “While progress has been made in restoring the Provincial Parliament’s ICT infrastructure, the forensic auditors contracted by the Provincial Parliament have advised that a worst-case-scenario assumption should be adopted in respect of whether its data…

Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu and Turkish Ambassador Aysegül Kandas yesterday handed over a 13 650 kW solar power system to the Beit-ul-Aman Old Age Home in Wynberg. The handover, made possible by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), was attended by several dignitaries including those from the Muslim community. The home was established in 1965 and opened its doors in 1978, and now houses around 60 elderly residents. Kandas said: “This is a show of respect as to what you are going through and our way as the Turkish government to show Ubuntu in South Africa. This year we want to achieve more and improve the lives of communities. This is part of the collaborations we have with South Africa for community development. We saw from South during…

Sitting in the sweltering summer heat of Tehran, we had come to Behesht-e Zahra, the cemetery of the martyrs of Iran and where the mausoleum of that country’s revolutionary leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, is located. June 4 was the 34th anniversary of the death of Khomeini. The commemoration ordinarily entails listening to his successor as Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “Supreme leader” is a simple direct translation of the endearment in Farsi. An “ayatollah” is a high-ranking religious leader of Shia Muslims. A wide range of guests, including members of the diplomatic core, high-ranking clerics from neighbouring countries, both Sunni and Shia, as well as international experts, had gathered in the 20km² complex and where proceedings promptly started at 8am. Listening attentively to Ayatollah Khamenei reflect on the life of…

None of us looks forward to winter. It’s such a cold, miserable season of sniffing noses and flues. But it’s during this bleak, dreary time of the year when your exotic garden has gone into slumber that some indigenous plants think it’s the opportune time to put on their annual flower show. There’s the iconic strelitzia, red hot poker, wild dagga, Cape honeysuckle and, of course, another iconic plant, the aloe. Despite what many of us think of these “bush” plants, they are cleverer than us. They choose the worst time of the year to fill the dry, drab landscape with their spectacular display of colour, not to please us but to attract the bees, butterflies and birds for pollination purposes. In return they provide them with nectar. It’s a…

New York has been ranked the most expensive city for expatriates, overtaking Hong Kong, which held the top spot for four years but was pushed to second place in a 2023 global cost-of-living study. London held its position at number four in the annual study conducted by ECA International, which compared costs faced by expatriates in 207 cities around the world. In North America, rankings for all US cities have risen this year, primarily driven by the strength of the US dollar, the study said. New York edged past Hong Kong, in particular, due to significant rise in rental costs as demand soared post the Covid pandemic. Barring London, all UK cities dropped in global rankings despite the ongoing cost of living crisis felt locally. “The cost of living crisis…

London: The European Commission has followed the US in approving the world’s first vaccine for the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), to be used by adults aged 60 and over, its maker GlaxoSmithKline said yesterday. The US approved the drug last month, while the vaccine is the culmination of a decades-long hunt to protect vulnerable people from the common illness. RSV normally causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but can be serious for infants and the elderly, as well as those with weak immune systems and underlying conditions. In severe cases it can cause pneumonia and bronchiolitis, an inflammation of the small airways deep inside the lungs. | AFP…

Berlin: German police said they smashed a human trafficking network yesterday, accused of smuggling hundreds of people, with six suspects arrested across Germany, Romania and Bulgaria. The suspects were believed to have trafficked more than 560 people into Germany, and more than 300 migrants to Romania, federal police said. The probe began after accounts were collected from Turkish and Syrian nationals in the border regions of Austria, Czech Republic and Poland. The migrants were allegedly forced to hide among cargo in trucks “under inhumane conditions for several days” after being taken from Timisoara in Romania. | AFP…

Washington: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak began a two-day trip to Washington yesterday to lobby for a leading UK role in regulating artificial intelligence, after a warning that the technology may pose an existential threat. Sunak met President Joe Biden at the White House. London’s bid to lead an international response on AI was underlined by Downing Street task force advisor Matt Clifford, who warned that chances of the fast-learning systems wiping out humanity within two years are “not zero.” He said the world needs “to regulate them on a global scale, because it’s not enough I think to regulate them nationally.” Sunak wants a future global AI regulator to be based in London, according to sources, arguing that Britain has the requisite expertise and tech sector. But Downing…

EMIRA Property Fund reported strong operational results, and a final divi- dend of 30.35 cents per share took the dividend for the nine months to March 31 to 96.78c, CEO Geoff Jennett said yesterday Net asset value per share increased by 4.2% to 1 696.60c per share. Jennett said in an online presentation that while the nine-month period could not be compared to either the prior or coming 12-month financial years, because of a change of year-end, the company was in good shape. He said the decision to change the year-end was because it needed to align the financial reporting with majority shareholder Castleview and with that of Transcend Property Fund, which it gained control of in October 2022. “Both our SA and US portfolios delivered pleasing operational performances.…

Hearing loss is a medical condition that is often under-diagnosed, yet it significantly affects the physical and mental health of those who experience any degree of hearing difficulty. It is a disabling condition that is being referred to as the “invisible epidemic”, affecting more than 3 million South Africans and over 1.5 billion people globally. Shockingly, the World Health Organization estimates that in just two more decades, this number will exceed 2.5 billion. To raise awareness about this critical issue, Bonitas Medical Fund is offering free online hearing screening for all South Africans. This aims to encourage more people to get screened for hearing loss and receive the necessary treatment. Prevention and early detection are crucial as hearing is the foundation for speech and language development, as well as learning…

THE Special Investigation Unit (SIU) is combing through 1 482 pages of the infamous report into corruption at Eskom, which parliament has been pushing to get its hands on. The report details findings of the R50 million privately funded intelligence operation at Eskom by its former CEO Andre de Ruyter, dubbed “Project Ostridge”. It allegedly links senior politicians to corruption and looting at the entity. Last year, without the board’s approval, De Ruyter commissioned the probe, which was conducted by George Fivaz Forensic and Risk (GFFR), a firm owned by apartheid police commissioner George Fivaz. Appearing before Parliament’s finance watchdog, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) SIU head Adv. Lekgoa Mothibi confirmed they were in possession of the report. “We reached out to George Fifaz Forensics and Risk Company…

Bid to be exempt from reporting fruitless and wasteful expenditure turned down again ESKOM must first get its house in order before wanting to be partially exempt from disclosing irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure in its annual financial statements. The power utility was again dealt a blow after Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana refused to grant it the exemption, saying it needed to first ensure that its anti-corruption strategy was credible and had the support of key stakeholders like investors, lenders, suppliers, customers, and the public. The National Treasury confirmed the decision was made after consulting with the Auditor-General and considering all public comments on the matter. “The Minister recognises the commitment of the Eskom board and management to fight and expose fraud and corruption, and the additional compliance and reporting…

Following a triumphant relaunch in 2022, Decorex Cape Town is returning with a bang, providing the Mother City with the opportunity to explore the newest design concepts. The show boasts over 200 premium brands, ensuring an all-encompassing experience that showcases curated exhibitions, cutting-edge designs and product launches. Taking place from June 22 to 25 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, Decorex Cape Town also features two state-of-the-art theatres, offering visitors even more interactivity and engagement. Each year the Decorex Africa team singles out an interior design firm whose work is worthy of acclaim. For 2023, Changing Spaces will be bringing its design vision to life in the Designer Spotlight at the show. Headed by Cheryl Herweg, and founded two decades ago, this studio creates contemporary spaces across the globe…

THE Bellville Community Policing Forum (CPF) has expressed relief after a 31-year-old woman, who was kidnapped outside her family’s business in Parow Industria, was reunited with her loved ones. The woman, from Welgemoed, was rescued in a house in Mfuleni three days after a Western Cape multidisciplinary provincial anti-kidnapping task team had launched a search for her. This led to the arrest of five suspects for their alleged involvement in the abduction. Provincial police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said the woman was abducted on June 2 after she left the family business where she works. “Her vehicle was later discovered abandoned in NY99 in Gugulethu after she failed to return home from work. “The task team comprising provincial organised crime investigators, crime intelligence, DPCI, special task force members, hostage negotiators, City…

80% of South Africans are dependent on public health care and at higher risk in outages ROLLING blackouts, implemented to keep the grid stable, are destabilising an already strained health-care system. The responsibility and duty of care – keeping patients alive – has become harder for health workers in South African hospitals. Globally, at least a billion people access health facilities that lack reliable access to electricity. Regarded as a basic resource, electricity is required for lighting, ventilation, communication, water supply, life-saving medical procedures and infection prevention. The lack of electrification support for the health-care sector is especially detrimental due to the high burden of disease in South Africa, especially in respect of maternal and child health, HIV/Aids and tuberculosis, non-communicable diseases and injury. Our system is reactionary and not…

UkrainianS abandoned their inundated homes as floodwaters crested across the south yesterday after the destruction of a vast dam on the front line between Russian and Ukrainian forces that each blamed the other for. Residents waded through flooded streets carrying children on their shoulders, dogs in their arms and belongings in plastic bags while rescuers used rubber boats to search areas where the waters were above head height. Ukraine said the flood would leave thousands of people without access to drinking water, swamp tens of thousands of hectares of agricultural land and turn more into deserts. “If the water rises for another metre, we will lose our house,” said Oleksandr Reva, in a village on the bank, who was moving his family’s belongings into the abandoned home of a neighbour…

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) yesterday called on the international community to prioritise support to South Sudan to tackle the influx of returnees and asylum seekers fleeing conflict in Sudan as the country hit a dire milestone of 100 000 new arrivals. UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Operation Raouf Mazou said that since the start of the conflict in Sudan in mid-April, thousands of people had fled across the border daily to South Sudan, the majority of whom were South Sudanese returnees who were now coming back to the country they had once been forced to flee. Mazou said the returnees were arriving alongside refugees from Sudan and various other nationalities who South Sudan had generously welcomed. He stressed that the majority of those fleeing the violence were arriving after…

Tehran: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is set to take off this weekend for a tour to Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, state media said yesterday. Raisi’s tour of “friendly countries” begins on Sunday and aims to raise Iran’s “level of economic, political and scientific co-operation” with the three fellow US-sanctioned Latin American nations. Iran and Venezuela are major producers in the Opec oil cartel, placing them at the centre of international discussions on the energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro visited Iran in June last year, signing a pact for co-operation in the oil, petrochemicals and defence sectors. | AFP…

Nairobi: Kenya will convert a vast coastal forest where the bodies of more than 250 people linked to a doomsday cult have been exhumed into a national memorial site, a minister has said. The discovery of mass graves in Shakahola forest, a 325ha bushland that lies inland from the Indian Ocean town of Malindi, has shocked Kenyans. Cult leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie is accused of driving his followers to death by preaching that starvation was the only path to God. Investigators unearthed nine more bodies this week taking the death toll to 251. While starvation appears to be the main cause of death, some victims were strangled, beaten or suffocated. | AFP…

GETTING Inter Milan to Saturday’s Champions League final is the latest achievement in Simone Inzaghi’s understated managerial career. Inzaghi, 47, spent his playing career in the shadow of his older brother Filippo, a two-time European champion and World Cup winner. The younger Inzaghi, also a striker, played most of his career for Lazio, where he won a single league title 23 years ago. However in management Simone leads the way at the helm of one of Europe’s traditional powerhouses, while Filippo slogs about in the lower leagues. Now he has a chance of winning the biggest honour the club game offers, just as his brother did as a player in 2003 and 2007 with Inter’s rivals AC Milan. “It’s my most important ever match, but I believe that’s also the…

Cardi B still cooks for her children despite being rich and famous. The rap star, 30, who has a reported net worth of $80 million (R1.5 billion), has Kulture, 4, and 21-month-old Wave with husband Offset. She said while she is “not usually” a culinary expert, she no longer has a choice in cooking because she is a mother. She told People: “I usually am not a person who cooks, but I have been cooking because I’ve got two kids now. So it’s like you really just don’t have a choice. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or not or you’re famous or not. It’s like your kids, if hungry, they’re going to be like, ‘I want it, and you got to cook it now’.” The I Like It hitmaker,…

from page 1 “The purpose, together with the appointment of the electricity minister, was to deal with Eskom’s challenges to solve the energy crisis swiftly. For example, if they needed to purchase something for quick repairs, things would not be subjected to all the red tape linked to the PFMA. (However) They (Eskom) need to have some extra steps in place, not to open the floodgates of corruption and to make sure they are still able to identify many of these wrongdoers and take them to court,” he said. The Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI) said it was in full support of the Minister’s decision. “Until Eskom demonstrates that it has tackled the corruption at the heart of our energy crisis, causing needless suffering daily, it should not…

12 thick-cut lamb chops Olive oil 30ml of roasted crushed coriander Salt and pepper Good quality white balsamic or fynbos vinegar +/- 1kg of green asparagus 250ml of marinated sun-dried tomatoes, chopped 500ml of chopped mixed rosa or exotic tomatoes 15ml of sugar Juice and rind of 1 lemon 125ml of capers, measured then chopped A handful of chopped fresh mint, basil, and coriander Rub the lamb chops with olive oil, crushed coriander, and salt and pepper. Let meat rest for at least an hour or two or overnight in the fridge. Prepare the meat by grilling over medium-hot coals and season to taste. Blanch the asparagus by dumping it into a pot of boiling hot water for 1 minute, remove immediately and submerge in a large bowl of iced…

A JOHANNESBURG advocate who has milked the public purse of millions, including charging government R34.4 million in legal fees for a case in which he defended the Minister of Police in a damages claim, has been struck from the roll. The Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg made it clear that Hassan Kajee was dishonest and not fit to hold the office of an advocate. The application against him was launched by the Johannesburg Society of Advocates, following a number of scathing previous judgments against him. He was at first suspended from the profession, pending further investigations into his conduct, which subsequently led to him being barred from any further practice. In 2018 in the matter of Minister of Police vs Kunene, the court made certain findings against Kajee, whose conduct amounted…

Nelson Mandela University (NMU) is reeling from a horrific attack in which a male student allegedly stabbed a 20-year-old female student to death on the campus residence. The incident happened at the university’s George Campus on Tuesday just before 1pm. The 22-year-old alleged perpetrator was arrested and taken into police custody. The university said it had arranged trauma counselling for students and staff. NMU George Campus spokesperson Milisa Piko said it was understood that the two students were known to each other and were acquaintances. “The university, in particular the George Campus, extends its deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the deceased student. Counselling and other psychosocial support mechanisms, including pastoral services, have been arranged for students and staff affected by this tragedy. “Affected students…

EASTERN Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane must be thinking of himself as some sort of an untouchable for his bid to interdict the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) from probing his alleged involvement in a qualifications scandal at the University of Fort Hare. Mabuyane cannot reasonably expect the public not to be suspicious when he makes such a move, especially if he has nothing to hide. We are not suggesting he is guilty of anything, far from it. That is what this SIU probe aims to establish. But a public representative who attempts to prevent another arm of government, in particular law enforcement agencies, from doing their job, leaves much to be desired. Mabuyane has turned to the Bhisho High Court to challenge a proclamation President Cyril Ramaphosa signed authorising the SIU…

BRITAIN’S Prince Harry finished giving evidence at London’s High Court yesterday after nearly eight hours of cross-examination in his phone-hacking case against a British tabloid newspaper group. Harry, the first senior British royal to appear in a witness box in 137 years, had been questioned for a second day over his allegations that tabloid newspapers used unlawful means to target him since he was a child. The prince was more combative in sometimes testy exchanges yesterday with Andrew Green, the lawyer for Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), the publisher of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, which he and 100 others are suing over allegations of unlawful acts between 1991 and 2011. Asked by his lawyer, David Sherborne, how it felt to answer questions in court when “the world’s…

Keir Starmer is on course to clinch a landslide majority of 140 for Labour at the next UK general election, the first modelling based on a mega poll of new constituency boundaries suggests. With the Conservatives still suffering from a large polling deficit, Labour’s support was found to be at about 35% to 12% ahead of Rishi Sunak’s party, The Guardian reported. The results will boost Starmer’s hopes of victory. Constituency boundaries are being redrawn for the first time in several election cycles. If the Reform Party, the reincarnation of the Brexit Party, repeats the tactic used in 2019 of standing aside in Tory marginals, Labour’s seats would still be at a healthy 401, leaving the Conservatives on 202. Another scenario has Labour winning 370 seats to the Tories’ 232,…

BEIJING: China completed a second phase of joint air patrols with Russia over the Western Pacific yesterday, following flights on the previous day over the Sea of Japan and East China Sea, prompting concerns in Japan over national security. Both South Korea and Japan scrambled fighter jets on Tuesday, when the Chinese and Russian joint patrols got under way as part of their militaries’ annual co-operation plan. The flights are a “serious concern” for Japan’s national security, and those concerns were conveyed to China and Russia through diplomatic channels, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said yesterday. | Reuters…

ROME: Pope Francis was admitted to a Rome hospital yesterday for another abdominal operation under general anaesthesia, this time to repair a hernia most likely caused by scars from surgery in 2021. The surgery will make it the third hospital stay for Francis since cardinals chose the Argentinian as the first Latin American pope in 2013 and is the latest in a string of health problems in recent years. The Vatican said he was expected to stay for “a number of days” to allow for full recovery. All of the pope’s private and general audiences had been cancelled until June 18. | Reuters…