Table of contents for 2023-09-05 in Cape Times

PPC the JSE-Listed cementitious product maker and distributor, said yesterday Matias Cardarelli had been appointed CEO to succeed Roland van Wijnen, whose contract expired on August 31 and was extended to December 31 to help the hand-over and transition. PPC’s board thanked Van Wijnen, who had repositioned the group by restructuring its debt, realigned its governance and reporting procedures and refocused its growth objectives in southern Africa, while at the same time navigated the challenges of Covid-19. PPC has also, according to previous reports, faced lower demand for its products due to declining investment in infrastructure and a weak consumer environment in its South Africa operations. PPC chairperson Jabu Moleketi said Cardarelli has a remarkable track record in the cement industry, across multiple emerging markets, having also spent the last…

Currency gains wiped out by intensified power cuts, fuel price hike THE RAND FELL to its lowest in two weeks, breaching the R19-mark to the US dollar yesterday after the government announced that fuel prices will increase to their highest in 9 months on the back of rising oil prices and weak exchange rate. The local currency weakened to R19.05 to the greenback in spite of hopes in the market for a pause in the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hike after employment data out of the US showed an easing of labour market conditions. The fuel price hike, coupled with renewed concerns over the domestic economy due to intensified power cuts, wiped all the gains the rand has made since inflation dipped to the midpoint of the South African Reserve…

THE fact that children (are) born in South Africa from foreign national parents does not automatically entitle them to South African citizenship, the court found in turning down the application by Zimbabwean parents for their children to be issued with SA birth certificates. The parents turned to the Polokwane High Court, to review and set aside a decision by the department of home affairs, which refused to issue the three children with birth certificates. The argument by the parents was that the department’s refusal was unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid. The parents are both Zimbabwean citizens who are currently staying in South Africa. They have three children who were born between 2010 and 2016. All their children were given unabridged certificates for non-Citizens. The father said he was in South Africa…

Up to 75% fleeced from debtors’ monthly wages THE Stellenbosch University (SU) Law Clinic has once again blown the lid on the lengths “unscrupulous lenders” continue to go to fleece the poor working class of their hard-earned salaries, leaving them with little to no income to survive the month. In some cases, up to 75% was fleeced from debtors’ monthly wages, prompting the clinic to call for urgent intervention. Data compiled by senior attorney and lecturer at the SU Law Clinic Dr Stephan van der Merwe showed that that credit lenders use tricks to side-step the legal requirements enforced by the garnishee order system, an irrevocable instruction to allow payroll deductions, and debtors seem to be lured into debt traps from which they were unable to escape as outstanding…

INNOVATIVE packaging solutions expo, the Propak Cape trade expo, returns to the province next month. Packaging is big business locally and those involved in the industry have been urged to not miss this year’s Propak Cape trade expo at the Cape Town International Conference Centre (CTICC) from October 24-26. Ready to share their industry and technical knowledge, the over 190 exhibitors will be showcasing their latest technologies, innovations, machinery, products, and services across packaging, plastics, print, labelling, food processing, and related industries. “With packaging being such an integral part of essential industries such as food and beverages, healthcare, cosmetics, and personal care, Propak Cape is an important visit for those involved in these industries and across the wider packaging, plastics, and related industries,” said Mark Anderson, Portfolio Director at Specialised…

Learners exposed to violence or abuse are at risk of developmental trauma disorder TWICE a year, it is my role as lecturer in Foundation Phase Education to assess third and fourth-year university students doing their teaching practice in diverse Grade R - 3 classrooms across the Western Cape. Most students’ lessons are well prepared and interesting, which should awaken interest and the joy of learning in them. However, it concerns me that many learners appear disruptive, aggressive, anxious, and/or restless or are detached or dissociated from the learning experience. They find it difficult to be present. The talk show icon Oprah Winfrey’s visit to South Africa to discuss the importance of trauma-informed responses to trauma within learning environments comes at an opportune time. Urgent and timeous discussions are needed to…

An initiative to boost Africa’s carbon credit production 19-fold by 2030 drew hundreds of millions of dollars of pledges yesterday as Kenyan President William Ruto opened the continent’s first climate summit. In one of the most anticipated deals, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) committed to buying $450 million (about 8.5bn) of carbon credits from the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI). The ACMI was launched at Egypt’s COP27 summit last year. African leaders are pushing market-based financing instruments such as carbon credits, which allow polluters to offset emissions through activities like planting trees or investing in renewable energy projects. Organisers of the three-day summit in Nairobi say they aim to showcase Africa as a destination for climate investment rather than a victim of floods, drought and famine. African governments see carbon…

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov submitted his resignation yesterday in the biggest shake-up of the defence establishment in 18 months of war with Russia. Reznikov has been at the forefront of Kyiv’s lobbying for Western weapons to fight Russia’s invasion, but his departure after months of corruption allegations against his ministry is not expected to have a big impact on military operations. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was sacking Reznikov and proposed Rustem Umerov, a Crimean Tatar and ex-lawmaker who runs the State Property Fund, to replace him. Reznikov, who took office in 2021, has helped Kyiv secure billions of dollars worth of Western military aid since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. A three-month-old counter-offensive against Russian forces in the south and east has been criticised by some Western officials…

MADRID: At least three people died and three were missing as record rainfall caused heavy flooding in central Spain, shutting roads, subway lines and high-speed train connections, authorities said yesterday. Helicopters were sent to rescue people who had sought refuge on the roofs of their homes in the Toledo area 50km south-west of Madrid, emergency services said. The sudden downpour transformed streets into rivers of mud that swept away cars and trash bins in Madrid, Castile-La Mancha, Catalonia and Valencia. Hail also fell in many areas. In Madrid, emergency services tackled almost 1 200 incidents overnight. | Reuters…

Nicosia: Five Israeli tourists were remanded in Cyprus police custody yesterday in connection with an alleged gang rape of a young British woman in the popular resort of Ayia Napa, authorities said. The five men, aged between 19 and 20, were arrested after a 20-year-old British tourist told police she was gang-raped at a hotel room in the Mediterranean island’s premier party spot. They appeared before Paralimni district court on the south-east coast, where they were ordered held in custody for eight days on suspicion of rape, police said. The arrests came after police secured witness testimony to support the allegation. | AFP…

The Rugby World Cup kicks off on Friday in Paris and a feast of riveting rugby is guaranteed over the next two months in France. Some games are bound to be more enthralling than others and here we picked out five juicy cherries from the banquet ... Friday September 8, 9.15pm: France v New Zealand, Stade de France It is doubtful that the organisers could have picked a better match to open Rugby World Cup 2023. The host nation versus the three-time champion All Blacks is as mouth-watering as possible. The teams first met in the 1987 final at Eden Park, which New Zealand won 29-9, while the two countries returned to the famous stadium for the 2011 final. The All Blacks snuck home 8-7 but the French were the…

BIDVEST, the services, trading and distribution group that delivered a strong financial performance in the year to June 30, had an “exciting” acquisition pipeline, CEO Mpumi Madisa said yesterday. The Bidvest Group (UK) plc upsized and restructured its multi-currency funding facility and as at June 30 there was an offshore merger and acquisition war chest of ¤560 million (R11.3 6 billion). “It is the richest pipeline of acquisitions we have had in a long time,” Madisa said in an interview. She said the acquisitions, some of which were likely to be announced at the half-year stage, were likely to involve small to medium size businesses, and vary between the R200m to R3.5bn enterprise value range. “Corporate action remains an integral part of our growth strategy. We are…

SPEAR real estate investment trust (Reit) has announced the launch of a new industrial development in George at a cost of R400 million over five years. Located adjacent to George airport, the development, to be known as GTX Park, is situated within the Airport Business Park precinct, and will comprise a total of 30 000 square metres of light industrial space, split across nine sites. Spear’s investment is in line with its focus on expanding its Western Cape property portfolio, and the project is expected to have a positive impact on the growth and development of the region. Spear CEO Quintin Ross said in a statement: “We are very pleased to bring this exciting development to the city of George. This expansion aligns with our commitment to…

AFRICAN Rainbow Minerals (ARM) yesterday reported a 21% decline in annual profit, citing lower production and weaker commodity prices. In its results for the financial year ended June 30, 2023, the diversi- fied miner said headline earnings per share were R48.51 compared with R57.87 the previous year. The group declared a final dividend of R12 per share. Last year it was R20 per share. The group said iron ore, manganese ore, and thermal coal volumes were negatively impacted by logistic challenges. It said the average realised rand weakened by 17% versus the US dollar to R17.76 per dollar compared to R15.21 per dollar in the 2022 financial year. “Unit production costs remained under pressure due to lower production volumes and above-inflation increases in the costs of explosives, diesel, electricity,…

The BILL proposing the establishment of the Investigative Directorate as a permanent structure in the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) provides for the appointment of a retired judge to deal with serious complaints made against investigators. This provision is a mechanism of safeguards against abuse by the investigators and will be similar to the appointment of retired judges dealing with complaints against members of the SANDF and the Hawks. The NPA Amendment Bill, introduced by Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola to Parliament last week, provides for appointment of a retired judge to investigate complaints or any alleged improper conduct on the body to be called the Investigative Directorate Against Corruption. “The performance of the functions provided for in respect of the retired judge does not derogate from the powers…

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has refuted allegations of unfair practice and discrimination at Delft North Primary School. This after ANC provincial spokesperson for education Khalid Sayed called for the department to address claims that the school awarded a uniform contract to a company from outside the community without giving local seamstresses a chance to compete, among other allegations. Sayed said the school allegedly singled out a child for wearing a uniform made by a local seamstress. “It is alleged that the school (also) hired out a venue to a gang boss for a fund-raiser, without the necessary permits or safety measures in place. The school allegedly harassed a parent for embroidering the school badge on her grandson's jersey. The above matters, if true, constitute unfair practices and abuse…

PATRIOTIC Alliance (PA) president Gayton McKenzie says the party is investigating allegations that there are councillors who are ignoring residents’ cries for help on WhatsApp Messenger, adding that those councillors found guilty would be removed. Among the councillors is PA Theewaterskloof Municipality Public Representative (PR) councillor Henry Syster, who has been accused of “grey-ticking” residents in distress on WhatsApp. While Syster denied the accusations, McKenzie has called for the party’s leadership structure to take action. “People have problems, so they call our councillors and they get grey-ticked. “How do you ignore the residents who voted for us? “I really don’t care if it’s a PR or ward councillor – they should be removed. “People didn’t vote for us to be ignored by the very people they voted for. Imagine…

AS SOUTH Africa prepares for its seventh democratic general elections next year, there is a collective realisation that this is a crucial moment in the nation’s history. Amid political players subtly campaigning and making bold statements, like “2024 is our 1994”, it is important for us to pause and reflect on the past three decades of democratic rule. We must also make space for diverse perspectives and lived experiences to be heard and considered. The introspection cannot occur magically or by chance; it requires all South Africans, particularly the youth who constitute a significant portion of the population, to actively participate in building a democratic culture. The issue of youth abstaining from, or showing disinterest in, elections has been a concern for years. Labelling it “youth voter apathy” is insufficient.…

General Brice Oligui Nguema, who led a coup last week that toppled Gabon’s 55-year-old ruling dynasty, took the oath of office as interim president yesterday, promising “free, transparent and credible elections” to restore civilian rule but without giving a timeframe. He also vowed to amnesty political prisoners, in a speech in which he insisted the coup had saved Gabon from bloodshed after elections that were “obviously loaded.” Oligui, head of the elite Republican Guard, last Wednesday led officers to detain President Ali Bongo Ondimba, scion of a family that had ruled the oil-rich central African nation since 1967. The ousting came just moments after Bongo, 64, was proclaimed victor in presidential elections – a result branded a fraud by the opposition. In a speech after taking the oath of office,…

The Hindu community in Kashmore district of Pakistan’s Sindh province has had enough of the continuous lawlessness, kidnappings for ransom and failure of authorities to recover the victims. The continued kidnappings targeted on Hindu traders and community members in Kashmor has sparked a wave of protests across the province. Kashmore’s Hindu community staged a strong protest, blocking the main Indus Highway for at least 34 hours, disconnecting the road route of Sindh province from Balochistan and Punjab. The protesters have demanded immediate action against the ongoing abductions of their loved ones from the community and others in and around the Kashmor district, who they said have been kidnapped for ransom by miscreants. The protests in Kashmore have also been supported in the main centre of the Sindh province Karachi.…

HARARE: Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa was sworn in for a second term yesterday after being declared the winner of last month’s disputed election, as he promised to lift millions out of poverty. Zimbabweans went to polls on August 23 to elect a new president, parliamentarians and local council members, but the main opposition party described the results as a “gigantic fraud”. Mnangagwa pleaded for unity in the aftermath of the polls, promising to revive the ailing economy. His second term comes amid the Zim dollar having plunged 80% since the start of the year while international funding is frozen. | Reuters…

Washington: Asserting that any Republican is better than US President Joe Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, Indian-American Nikki Haley has said that the Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential elections is going to be her. Fresh out of the first Republican primary debate late last month, Haley said that she doesn’t think that the party front runner and former boss Donald Trump is going to be the presidential nominee. “The American people are not going to vote for a convicted criminal … I have faith in the American people,” she said. However, the former South Carolina governor said she would support Trump if he emerged as the eventual Republican nominee. In the latest opinion poll by The Wall Street Journal, Haley took the third spot after Trump and…

Grant Margeman is thrilled that his international career has finally turned full circle and has vowed to bring his junior experience to the senior national team. Margeman is part of the 23-man squad that will represent Bafana Bafana in the two friendlies against Namibia and DR Congo at Orlando Stadium on Saturday and Tuesday, respectively. And while that was a well-deserved call-up for the 25-year-old midfielder, it’s been a long time coming, as he’s represented most – if not all – the junior national teams. In 2017, Margeman had a blockbuster international year, representing the country in both the junior Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup. Margeman was also part of the Under-23 Afcon team that qualified for the delayed 2020 Olympic Games in Japan. Despite all that international…

GOVERNMENTS all over the world are attempting to curb the adverse supply shocks that resulted in high food prices, the recent example being the ban that India placed on rice exports in an attempt to keep their local prices at affordable levels. This past week, the South African government voiced concerns about the higher food prices and instructed the Cabinet’s economic cluster to implement a food security plan to cushion consumers. Dr Marlene Louw, senior economist at Absa AgriBusiness, said although these measures could provide some relief to consumers, research showed they could have a disruptive effect on markets, keeping supply low(er) and prices high over the medium to long term. “These measures can also be costly to the fiscus if it takes the form of storage or reserve programmes.…

FISHING group Sea Harvest said yesterday that earnings increased, boosted by strong demand, higher selling prices in all markets and channels, and a weaker rand. In its interim results for the six months ended June 30, 2023, the group said it proved its resilience and defensive nature by delivering headline earnings of 77 cents, 19% higher than in 2002. The group reported that revenue increased by 18% to R3.2 billion compared to 2022’s R2.7bn, benefiting from strong demand, higher selling prices in all markets and channels, and a weaker rand, thereby mitigating the significant inflation, including the double-digit increases in the fuel price and milk price, and continued load shedding experienced during the period. Despite this, no interim dividend was declared. Sea Harvest CEO Felix Rathebe said despite…

The Patriotic Alliance (PA) has elected a new mayor for the Beaufort West municipality in place of Ashley Sauls, who resigned yesterday with ambitions for premier. Sauls, elected mayor of the town in February, will be running as a Western Cape premier candidate for the PA, the party said. Beaufort West’s new mayor, PA ward 3 councillor Ebeneazer Botha, said he was honoured by the appointment and was ready to serve. PA leader Gayton McKenzie congratulated Botha. “I would like to congratulate you as the new mayor of Beaufort West. The road awaits you. Botha has stood with the PA. People have offered him things to betray us, but he has stood with us and we reward loyalty,” he said. Botha said: “I grew up in Beaufort West so…

THE petrol and diesel price increases mean cash-strapped South African consumers will fork out more for goods and services on top of not having electricity for most of the day, as Eskom confirmed Stage 6 load shedding today. In what has been described as the steepest hike in petrol prices in recent years – petrol will now cost R1.71 more per litre and R2.84 more per litre for diesel. Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe announced yesterday the adjustment of fuel prices based on current local and international factors that will take effect at at midnight tomorrow. Mantashe said the hikes were due to higher international oil costs and the rand exchange rate. In a statement, Mantashe said: “The average Brent Crude oil price increased from 79.75 US Dollars…

BABOON welfare group, Baboon Matters has called on the City and other decision makers to “walk the talk” in implementing a sustainable baboon programme for the Cape Peninsula. This follows an announcement by the Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team (JTT), consisting of representatives from SANParks, CapeNature, and the City, informing the public that the draft Baboon Strategic Management Plan will be finalised by the end of this month, if all goes as planned. Thereafter, the JTT will begin with engagements with communities from affected areas and call for nominations for representatives from recognised community organisations, NGOs and others, to serve on the Baboon Advisory Group (BAG). In July 2023, SANParks, CapeNature, and the City signed a memorandum of agreement that set the foundation for co-operation between the parties…

CHILD rights activists believe not only did society fail to protect a young rape victim from her foster father for more than 10 years, but that the wheels of justice also turned slowly when the case went to court. The Khayelitsha Regional Court last week sentenced the 62-year-old man to life imprisonment following his conviction for rape. The man was reportedly arrested in 2017 after he had been sexually abusing and raping the girl from the age of 7. During the trial the court heard the woman was orphaned and had been sent to several homes before she was placed with the rapist, his wife and four other foster children. The foster mother worked during the day and the husband would be with the children as he worked the night…

WHILE cash-in transit (CIT) heists continue to be a thorn in the side of the economy the resources of South African authorities’ are being strengthened to curb these crimes, the Hawks said. Hawks boss Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya briefed the media yesterday about successes achieved in the battle against CIT heists, human trafficking, contraband trade and fraud-related cases in the first quarter of the financial year. A total of 611 suspects were arrested for such crimes during this period, he said. Officers seized various exhibits, including precious metals and diamonds, endangered species, vehicles, cash, firearms, ammunition, counterfeit goods, explosives and electronic devices worth about R6 112 768 985. This comes as 19 suspects – 17 men and two women – were killed in a shoot-out with the Hawks in…

The establishment of a task force aimed at identifying hijacked buildings within municipalities across the nation represents a positive stride by the government in addressing a serious challenge. This initiative comes in response to the loss of 77 lives, including children, in the devastating multi-storey building fire that recently engulfed Johannesburg’s inner city. Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Sihle Zikalala, declared his department's commitment to lead a rigorous crackdown on these hijacked structures. Zikalala emphasised that the task force’s primary responsibility would be to comprehensively catalog all hijacked buildings nationwide and propose appropriate actions for each property. His office, through spokesperson Lennox Mabaso, disclosed that out of the 29 000 buildings listed in the department’s Asset Register throughout the country, approximately 1 260 properties have been flagged as illegally…

Fishing grounds choked by water hyacinths. Songbird eggs gobbled up by rats. Power plant pipes clogged by zebra mussels. And electrical lines downed by brown tree snakes. These are just a few examples of the environmental chaos sown by invasive species, whose spread around the world has seen economic damages quadruple every decade since 1970, scientists said yesterday. The team of 86 researchers from 49 countries released a four-year assessment of the global impacts of some 3 500 harmful invasive species, finding that economic costs now total at least $423 billion (about R8 trillion) every year, with the alien invaders playing a key role in 60% of recorded plant and animal extinctions. “We also know this is a problem that is going to get much, much worse,” said ecologist Helen…

Moscow: President Vladimir Putin yesterday said Russia was nearing a deal that would secure free grain to six African countries, after the UN-brokered Black Sea grain deal collapsed in July. Since pulling out of the deal, which aimed to ensure safe grain exports via the Black Sea, Russia has been keen to allay African concerns about the impact of the deal’s collapse on food security. “We are close to completing agreements with six African states,” Putin said at a press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He said that Russia would supply the food and carry out logistics free of charge, adding that deliveries “would begin in the next couple of weeks”. | AFP…

Vienna: The UN nuclear watchdog said yesterday that it regretted that “no progress” had been made by Iran on outstanding issues, including installing more cameras to monitor Tehran’s nuclear programme. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director-general Rafael Grossi “requests Iran to work with the agency in earnest and in a sustained way towards the fulfilment of the commitments”, the agency said in a confidential report. In March, Tehran vowed to reactivate surveillance devices that were disconnected in June last year amid deteriorating relations with the West. The IAEA said Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium was well above the limit set in a 2015 accord. | AFP…

Captain Laura Wolvaardt’s career-best 72 could not save the Proteas Women from a 3-0 series whitewash as they lost by six runs to Pakistan at the National Stadium in Karachi yesterday. Having done so well in the T20 World Cup earlier this year, the South Africans were expected to win the series despite visiting Pakistan for the first time in history. It might have been a dead rubber in the context of the series but for skipper Wolvaardt and her team, redeeming themselves carried a lot of weight. The cricketing gods were on their side yesterday, with the captain winning the toss for the first time in the series and sending Pakistan into bat, an easy decision as the home side had chosen to field first in the first two…