Table of contents for 2023-09-14 in Cape Times

‘Echoes of our Legacy’ in Heritage Month by Fatima Jack-Hendricks Capacity audiences attended Echoes of our Legacy; a play that was written, produced, directed and performed by Islamia College Primary School. Play content We are well aware that some of our forefathers were robbed of their land by the colonialists, some were brought to the southern tip of Africa in chains because of their faith or exiled and imprisoned because of their principles. So many were forcibly removed from their homes, and all of them suffered discrimination. Many of them were denied prospects in education, in jobs, in sports and in leadership. The director of the play, Rehana Ebrahim, said: “The play provides snapshots of a rich history; a history of faith, a history of culture, a history of…

A meat-eating South African who is fully aware of the concerns about the meat industry’s role in the climate crisis is the premise of a new one-man show at The Baxter next week. A Vegan Killed my Marriage, starring funny-man Aaron Mcilroy, and written and directed by the award-winning Craig Freimond, will run at the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio from September 19 to October 8 at 8pm, with Saturday matinees at 2.30pm. Mcilroy, well known for his performance as the lunatic father, Mr Milton, in the Spud movie franchise, plays James, a South African man aware of the consistent concerns about the meat industry’s role in the impending climate catastrophe. Over the years, he has done his best to studiously evade and ignore such concerns, until a work trip creates…

Dozens of KwaMashu residents took to the streets yesterday demanding that eThekwini Municipality provide them with transport to attend Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi’s funeral on Saturday in Ulundi, northern KwaZulu- Natal. The crowd reportedly blocked roads in the area, prompting a response from the police. Hostel committee organiser Nathi Biyela said the action had been organised by the hostel dwellers and included IFP members. He said it had been prompted by uncertainty about transport arrangements for the funeral. He said IFP leadership in eThekwini had indicated that the municipality was supposed to provide the transport as it was going to be a state funeral. Biyela lamented the uncertainty over the transport arrangements. “It will be a disgrace if the leadership fails to provide for the residents of KwaMashu hostel because this…

Bank official suspended following allegations of helping gold smugglers launder millions of dollars for bribes WHILE the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has remained tight-lipped amid serious allegations that three of the country’s major banks, including Standard Bank, allegedly helped a gold smuggling gang launder millions of dollars in exchange for bribes in Zimbabwe, a Standard Bank employee has been suspended following the exposé. International news network Al Jazeera earlier this year exposed how a Standard Bank employee was allegedly central in helping a gold smuggling gang launder “dirty cash” in exchange for regular bribes. The probe, Gold Mafia by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit (I-Unit), sought to expose the intricate operations of various criminal organisations involved in the illicit gold trade from Zimbabwe, and illustrated how they exploited the trade…

THE heart-wrenching incidents of mothers allegedly killing their own children in the Eastern Cape and elsewhere in the country have left South Africans shaken and raised important questions about the underlying causes and societal responses. The recent case of Veziwe Ntsizela, 41, a mother who is alleged to have poisoned and killed her three children in Lusikisiki on Monday, along with her subsequent death on Tuesday morning, mirrors a similarly distressing event in Tholeni, Butterworth, where Bongeka Buso, 38, is suspected of having taken the lives of her three children just a month earlier. These incidents, while horrifying, have prompted individuals to critically examine the complex web of factors contributing to such heinous acts, including the role of poverty, mental health, the government, community, and cultural influences. With regards to…

WHILE production costs of bread and wheat among others have fallen consistently over the past two years, consumers are yet to feel the benefit of lower input costs with producer and retail prices yet to decline. This is according to the Competition Commission Essential Food Pricing Monitoring (EFPM) Report released yesterday, which found that despite inflation reaching its lowest level since October 2021, food prices remained high. The commission said it was monitoring essential food prices throughout the value chain, to see whether consumers were harmed by the state of competition throughout food value chains. The EFPM report highlights comparative trends in grocery retailer margins to global peers Canada, Ireland, and the UK, and shared evidence of “rocket and feather” effects, which means prices were quick to rise in response…

Tuesday, September 12, marked the 20th UN International Day for South-South Cooperation. Over the past decades, the Global South, that is, the whole of emerging economies and developing countries, once a sidelined force in the unipolar era after the Cold War ended, has emerged into an increasingly strong driver for a multipolar world. The collective rise of the Global South is changing the global landscape. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), emerging market and developing economies represent 85% of the world’s population and nearly 60% of global global domestic product based on Purchase Power Parity. In international affairs, the Global South, more confident in raising its voice and united in seeking strength, has become a key player in shaping the global order. The world is living through drastic changes.…

Kim Jong Un told President Vladimir Putin yesterday that he was sure Russia would win a “great victory” over its enemies, as Ukraine’s Western allies warned of a possible Russian arms agreement with North Korea. Russia became a pariah in the West after launching full-scale hostilities in Ukraine last year and has looked to strengthen alliances with other hardline leaders ostracised by democratic countries. “We are confident that the Russian army and people will win a great victory in the just fight to punish evil groups who pursue hegemony, expansion and ambition,” Kim told Putin, raising a toast during an official dinner following one-on-one talks. Kim also praised the “heroic” Russian army in comments that news agencies sponsored by Moscow interpreted as relating specifically to Moscow’s large-scale military operation in…

EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen announced an anti-subsidy probe into Chinese electric vehicles yesterday, presenting herself as a champion of European business as she defended her track record ahead of elections next year. Von der Leyen, who is expected to seek a second term as head of the EU executive next year but has yet to announce her plans, promised in her annual state of the union speech to take steps to help Europe’s wind industry, make business easier for small companies and address labour shortages. “Europe will do whatever it takes to keep its competitive edge,” she told the European Parliament in Strasbourg. “In a world of uncertainty, Europe once again must answer the call of history,” the 64-year-old former German defence minister told EU MPs,…

NEW DELHI: The deaths of 12 children in northern India between December 2019 and January 2020, police allege, were caused by adulterated cough syrup made by drugmaker Digital Vision. It was not the first time the company’s medicines have come under scrutiny Indian drugs regulators found quality shortfalls in drugs made by Digital at least 22 times between 2012 and July this year. The medicines either did not contain the claimed volume of ingredients or failed to dissolve quickly enough for absorption by the body, according to the records. Regulators found at least 10 medicines “not of standard quality”. | Reuters…

Bordeaux: A woman has died from botulism after eating sardines at a Bordeaux restaurant and 12 other people, mostly foreigners, are being treated for the rare condition, French health officials said yesterday. Botulism is a serious neurological illness brought on by eating food that has been improperly preserved. The city centre restaurant had preserved the sardines itself, health authorities said. The woman had checked into a hospital near Paris. She returned home and died there. Her partner remains in intensive care. In total 12 people were still receiving emergency treatment yesterday, health services said. Five were on respiratory support. | AFP…

GROWTHPOINT Properties has committed to investing R1.8 billion for the year to June 2024, although this, as well as a 1.3% rise in dividends per share, was not enough to cheer up investors in the company after its share price on the JSE fell 1.2% in yesterday’s session. The R1.8bn committed in investments for 2024 full year follows on the company sinking R1.9bn in “development and capital expenditure” for the year to June 2023, it said yesterday. However, its shares on the JSE closed 1.3% weaker from the previous day’s close at R11.40. In the year to date comparative, Growthpoint’s share price has lost as much as 20% of its value. The international real estate investment company – with properties in South Africa, Australia, Poland, Romania and the UK…

IN CELEBRATING its 50th birthday, the Jazzart Dance Theatre will put on an expression of love, life, and the joy of dance at its home – the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town, next month. “The 50 Years of Dance Celebratory Festival is an exciting, stimulating and thoroughly celebratory programme, elevating and honouring the life-changing impact and longevity of contemporary dance in South Africa,” festival organisers said. The festival is a two-week mixed bill of performances that will showcase national and international guest companies and artists, featuring Jazzart’s students and professional company of dancers, along with specially invited guests from around the country. In week one, Jazzart’s celebrated alumni Sifiso Kweyama, Celeste Botha, Elvis Sibeko and Shaun Oelf will showcase works alongside multiple award-winning artists Vincent Mantsoe and Gregory Maqoma. They…

from page 1 “We believe that the formalisation of Grade R builds a solid foundation for them, especially since these teachers are not treated as such. “This has started in the province, where those qualified are labelled as teachers. “We support the clause on the parents who don’t take their children to school; however, we do not support the penalties because there may be a variety of reasons. “We say that, before action may be taken, investigations must be done to get to the root of the issue. “We don’t want to punish parents without understanding their circumstances,” she said. National Professional Teachers Organisation of SA (Naptosa) executive director Basil Manuel said the most exciting part of the bill was the inclusion of Grade R into the compulsory schooling phase.…

Cosatu is preparing to take on the National Treasury over proposed cuts which would see the number of civil servant jobs being slashed. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is expected to announce the spending cuts plan when he tables the medium-term budget policy statement in November. The public sector wage bill is one of the areas expected to be trimmed. On Tuesday President Cyril Ramaphosa met with the Cosatu, the South African Federation of Trade Unions, the Federation of Unions of South Africa and the National Council of Trade Unions, with all parties agreeing to find a solution to the many challenges in the country and grow the economy. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said public-sector expenditure cuts were a complex exercise that needed time and would be prioritised over the next…

HUMANE Society International (HSI), in an ongoing court battle with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) over trophy hunting of certain wildlife species, said it was considering legalities around the recent killing of an elephant while an interim interdict was in place prohibiting the allocation of permits. This after the organisation said a male elephant was killed in a trophy hunt at the Maseke Game Reserve, situated within the Balule Nature Reserve, bordering the Kruger National Park, in Limpopo on September 3. The elephant was allegedly shot eight times before finally succumbing to his injuries. HSI said in the ongoing court case, which seeks to challenge hunting and export quotas permitted by the government, Western Cape High Court Judge Patrick Gamble had in April last year noted…

POLICE have arrested 46 undocumented immigrants believed to be from Malawi and Zimbabwe, who were being transported allegedly to work on a farm in Piketberg. The arrests followed after authorities were alerted to a suspicious truck carrying about 67 people approaching Porterville from the direction of Paarl. Rural and Farmworkers Development Organisation executive director Billy Claasen said he was driving between Porterville and Gouda behind the truck when he noticed a number of men in the truck. “I called traffic officer Beikom Neehlin, who responded immediately. When he reached us, the truck started picking up speed. “I noticed that the men were on their nerves and standing around in the truck. “Neehlin pulled the truck over and said he was going to take it to the police station because the…

Many perceived him as an immortal figure PRINCE Mangosuthu Buthelezi, uMntwana wakwaPhindangene, who died at 95 years last Saturday, was certainly no angel and never considered himself one. Suffice it to say, a Wikipedia page on a lifetime of his public life runs to 25 770 words. News of his death shook the country and moved millions of South Africans. Life made him for the 1920s, and the following decades when to be a traditional leader, politician and Christian was as much a chance to live a life of altruistic service to others as a means to build a society that embraces coexistence and tolerance for diversity. Political controversy about his anti-apartheid Struggle credentials and the remarkable role of a statesman who played a significant role in South African history…

Bodies were washing ashore in eastern Libya yesterday, swelling the death toll from a storm that swept whole suburbs out to sea, with thousands already confirmed dead and many thousands more still missing. Swathes of the Mediterranean city of Derna were obliterated by the flood torrent, unleashed after rains from a powerful storm burst dams above the city on Sunday night. Whole multi-storey buildings were swept away with sleeping families inside. The “sea is constantly dumping dozens of bodies”, said Hichem Abu Chkiouat, minister of civil aviation in the administration that runs eastern Libya. “We have counted more than 5 300 dead so far, and the number is likely to increase significantly and may even double because the number of missing people is also thousands.” Tens of thousands of…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forced yesterday to deny a report his government had approved a shipment of weapons to Palestinian security forces after far-right ministers in his coalition expressed outrage. Israel’s Army Radio reported that the US had supplied 1 500 assault rifles to Palestinian security services in the occupied West Bank with Israel approving the deal on condition the weapons be used against the militant Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups. Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose party backs policies favouring nationalist settler groups, demanded that Netanyahu issue a public denial, while his coalition ally, Finance Minister Bezalel Smothrich, was reported by Israeli media to be “seething”. Netanyahu dismissed the report as fake news but said the government had approved the transfer of a number of armoured vehicles. Palestinian…

Seoul: Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia said yesterday that they had asked a US court to reject class-action lawsuits filed in 17 cities over a series of car thefts of their vehicles. In their documents submitted to the US court, Hyundai and Kia said they should not be held accountable for thefts resulting from a criminal social-media phenomenon. The lawsuits came after thousands of thefts of the carmakers’ vehicles spiked in the summer of 2022 due to TikTok videos showing how to steal cars without the theft-prevention devices, under the title “Kia Challenge”. The South Korean carmakers also said state governments should be held responsible for the thefts. | IANS…

WASHINGTON: The US Senate’s top Democrat brought US technology leaders including Tesla’s Elon Musk, Meta Platforms’ Mark Zuckerberg and Alphabet (Google) CEO Sundar Pichai to Capitol Hill yesterday for a closed-door forum on how Congress should set artificial intelligence safeguards. Lawmakers are grappling with how to mitigate the dangers of the emerging technology, which has experienced a boom in investment and consumer popularity after the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Lawmakers want safeguards against potentially dangerous deepfakes, election interference and attacks on critical infrastructure.Regulators globally have been scrambling to draw up rules governing the use of generative AI, which can create text and generate images whose artificial origins are virtually undetectable. | Reuters…

THE iconic Moulin Rouge in Paris has a new dancer from Gugulethu in its ranks. Chris Ncekana, 32, said his special South African energy made him stand out above the rest. “Being at the Moulin Rouge is definitely a next-level career highlight for me. Being part of a cabaret show that was established here in Paris 130 years ago is just incredible. “I still get goosebumps thinking about my first audition in October 2019 when I was among 150 dancers from all over the world all wanting to land a spot at the Moulin. I was so nervous but had faith in my special South African energy and I was determined to light up the room. The audition went very well and I was among only three male dancers chosen…

State-owned entity Denel yesterday said it was in the process of stabilising the organisation so that it could reposition its business and restore order. Briefing the public enterprises portfolio committee on Denel’s turnaround plan, acting CEO Mike Kgobe said the SOE had a healthy order book of R23 billion in 2016. “We are currently sitting with an order book of R8.7bn as of 2023. “It is an order executable over a number of years,” Kgobe said. He also said that at its peak, Denel was at about R8.2bn and as at March this year, the order book was at R1.46bn. “We have seen how revenue has gone down over the years. The task we have at hand is to bring the order book back to where it should be in…

IMPEACHED Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, has announced she will legally challenge her removal from office, calling it an injustice perpetrated on Steve Biko Day. This after an overwhelming majority of MPs voted to remove her from office on Monday, owing to a report by the Section 194 inquiry that recommended her removal on grounds of incompetence and misconduct. In a letter sent to Mkhwebane on Tuesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that in terms of Section 194 of the Constitution, when the National Assembly adopted a resolution for the removal of a public protector, the president “must” remove the public protector from office. “I therefore inform you that you are hereby removed from the office of the public protector in terms of section 194(3)(b) of the Constitution on the grounds of…

THE SAPS was ordered to pay R395 000 as compensation to a man after he was unlawfully assaulted, detained and prosecuted at the Wierdabrug police station in Centurion. Barend Burger’s nightmare ordeal started when he tried to secure bail for his son who had been detained at the police station. After waiting for nearly an entire day to be assisted, the police told him his matter was not important. When he tried to video-record the officer who told him this, he was taken to a room, where he was severely assaulted. In a bid to defend himself, he punched one of the officers. This led to him being detained for 15 hours. He was charged with assault and had to attend numerous court appearances, before the SAPS withdrew the charges.…

THE mysterious disappearance of hundreds of gold Kruger coins valued at R7.2 million from a bank vault resulted in a banking officer being convicted of theft and sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment, but it appeared that the elderly owner of the coins did not know how many he owned. Kevin Kaschula was earlier pinpointed as the culprit and convicted and sentenced by the lower court. He, however, managed to clear his name on appeal to the Makhanda High Court in the Eastern Cape. While there was no evidence that he was the thief, the magistrate concluded that it could only have been him. But Acting Judge AJ Ellis said that it was mere speculation, as the elderly owner was not sure how many coins he had. It was estimated that…

A DISGRACED former Duneside Primary School principal will serve three years under correctional supervision for defrauding the school of almost R100 000. Clifford Chateau, 65, pleaded guilty to defrauding the Mitchells Plain school out of R95 730 in 2017. He was sentenced to four years imprisonment, while two counts were withdrawn against him. Hawks spokesperson, Zinzi Hani, said Chateau’s sentence was suspended for a period of five years, but he would serve three years under correctional supervision in terms of Section 276(1)(h) of Act 51 of 1977. “It is reported that the school where Chateau was the headmaster, wanted to do building work and the company called CBS, belonging to the accused, submitted a quotation created by the headmaster. “The headmaster submitted other false quotations to the school Governing Body…

STANDARD Bank cannot reasonably expect the public to believe that its decision to shut accounts of Sekunjalo Group-related companies, including Independent Media, is out of a genuine concern when it has hardly – if at all – produced evidence justifying this unjust move. Independent Media, the largest newspaper firm in South Africa, publishes the Cape Times, The Mercury, The Star, Pretoria News, Daily News, Sunday Tribune, Weekend Argus and the Cape Argus. Let’s highlight the impact this calamitous decision is likely to have, not only on this country’s media freedom, but on the employees whose livelihoods are at stake. Standard Bank first cited “reputation risk” as the reason for wanting to shut the accounts of these companies, but has now raised concerns around the Financial Intelligence Centre Act. Before this,…

RESCUE teams stepped up a massive effort to bring relief to devastated Moroccan mountain villages yester day, as the chances faded fast for finding survivors from the earthquake which killed at least 2 900 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless. Vehicles packed with supplies were inching up winding mountain roads to deliver food and tents to survivors of the nation’s deadliest quake in more than six decades. Search teams were still scouring the rubble for the living. Morocco is now well past the 72-hour window when rescues are considered most probable, yet survivors are in some cases found well beyond that period. “We’re working in a lot of places,” said Fahas Abdullah Al Dosanri of the Qatari fire department, part of the international aid effort. He said some villages…

HANOI: A fire at an apartment block in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi has killed 56 people, among them children, and injured 37, police said yesterday. The fire broke out during the night in a nine-storey building, home to about 150 residents. Television images showed firefighters equipped with hoses and ladders at the scene by night, while a column of thick, dark smoke billowed from the building by day. Several of the victims were admitted to local hospitals with multiple injuries after having jumped from their windows to escape the fire, state media said, citing Vu Hoang Phuong of Hanoi Medical University Hospital. Police have detained the owner of the building. | Reuters…

SUBOTICA: Serbia has sent special forces to the border with Hungary as hundreds of migrants a day try to reach the EU. With Serbia on the main route for refugees from Asia, Africa and the Middle East, mainly coming through Türkiye, the police have long been at the border. But they have now sent in more heavily armed personnel after what an NGO said were turf wars among criminal gangs and a police chief said were conflicts among migrants. Police said they detained 371 migrants along the border. Two men were detained in a tent, and dozens, including a family with two children, were gathered in a field. They also detained several people found up trees, acting as “scouts”. | Reuters…

LOS ANGELES: Oprah Winfrey was shocked after she was vilified online over her Hawaii relief fund. The TV titan teamed up with actor Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson to form the People’s Fund of Maui to help those affected by the devastating wildfires in August that claimed 115 lives. The pair donated $5 million each. However, trolls accused the wealthy star of hypocrisy by asking her followers to donate cash. “All of the online attacks… took the focus off …the people of Maui,” she said. | Bang Showbiz…