Table of contents for 2023-11-13 in Cape Times

THE SOUTH Africa Israel Chamber of Commerce (Saicc) has warned that the US government could remove South Africa from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) due to the country’s stance on the ongoing geopolitical conflicts. Saicc on Friday said that it was concerned that the South African government’s decision to depart from its policy of non-alignment and openly side with Russia and more recently, Iran, could have a negative impact on its relationship with the US. Agoa is currently valid until 2025, but its extension depends on opinions within the US Congress. “We speak on behalf of a group of prominent South African business leaders and urge President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister (of International Relations) Naledi Pandor to reassess the situation as a matter of urgency, in light of…

OIL PRICES gained about 2% on Friday as Iraq voiced support for Opec+’s oil cuts ahead of a meeting in two weeks and as some speculators covered massive short positions ahead of weekend uncertainty. Still, prices settled with weekly losses of 4%, their third straight weekly decline. “This was the perfect technical storm. We came into this week with an almost record short position and now we’re seeing some short covering going into the weekend,” said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group. Flynn noted that in addition to Iraq’s comments, Saudi Arabia and Russia confirmed this week that they would continue oil output cuts through to year end. In the US, energy firms cut the number of oil rigs operating for a second week in a row to…

The election of the DA’s provincial top brass at the weekend marked the launchpad that will shape and propel the party’s 2024 campaign, says newly elected DA Western Cape leader Tertuis Simmers. The Infrastructure MEC clinched victory over former provincial leader Bonginkosi Madikizela as the DA concluded its Western Cape Provincial Congress at the weekend. Madikizela was in 2021 dealt a heavy blow when his credibility was questioned due to the reported misrepresentation of his qualifications. He was forced to resign from the positions of DA leader and Transport MEC. Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis emerged uncontested as Simmers’s deputy, sparking speculation about him as a ptential rising star within the party and potential future leadership roles. Jaco Londt secured the position of provincial chairperson uncontested, while Anroux Marais, Carl…

Shock, trauma, as brutal stabbing of spouse is captured on video The Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) student captured on video footage being stabbed, allegedly by her husband, who is said to be a UWC student, had successful surgery following the incident on Saturday, according to a student close to her. “I can’t say much at this stage, only that she was not stabbed 20 times as the rumours claim. She has been operated on and is also able to speak,” the student told the Cape Times yesterday. The 30-year-old man who allegedly attacked her is under police watch at a hospital after irate students allegedly assaulted him for stabbing the 26-year-old at South Point, the Orchard student accommodation in Belhar. In graphic footage which has prompted widespread condemnation,…

A GAMBLING company’s attempt to be allowed to operate unallocated gambling machines in the province has been snubbed by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA). The SCA upheld an appeal against an order of the Western Cape High Court and set aside a decision to allocate additional limited payment gambling machines (LPMs) to two licensed operators. The Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board granted licences to Vukani Gaming Western Cape (Pty) Ltd t/s V-Slots (V-Slots) and Grand Gaming Western Cape (RF) (Pty) Ltd t/s Grand Slots (Grand Slots), to operate the LPMs and their licenses were granted following a Request for Proposals (RFP) and a competitive bidding process. The Board stated in the RFP that its intention was to permit the operation of 3 000 LPMs by three operators. The…

While the police are in the process of recalling detectives who have either retired or moved on, the investigative capacity of the police is severely affected due to a shortage of more than 8 000 detectives, resulting in delays in investigations. In response to a question about the capacitation of the detective services during a Peace and Security National Assembly parliamentary meeting last week, Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale said the government was in the process of enlisting detectives. “We have come to the realisation that the number of dockets that our detectives have at hand are more than what they are supposed to do,” he said. He said this issue lay not only with detectives, but with the police service as a whole, as the number of officers had…

THE glaring inconsistencies in how the law-enforcement agencies and financial regulators have treated President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm break-in saga are too obvious to dispute. Take the recent arrests of the three suspected thieves by the Hawks to illustrate our argument. The breakthrough is commendable, but neither Ramaphosa nor those he tasked with running the farm reported a case of theft and break-in to the police when the incident took place in early 2020. Only after former State Security head Arthur Fraser blew the lid two years later about the theft of US dollars stashed in furniture at Phala Phala was a case reported to the police. Subsequently, the Hawks took over the investigation. Months later, we have arrests and the accused must now answer to charges. Equally and…

King Charles and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak led Britain in remembering the country’s war dead yesterday, seeking to unify communities a day after a large pro-Palestinian march was marked by skirmishes between far-right counter-protesters and police. At a solemn ceremony at the Cenotaph war memorial on Whitehall in central London, Charles, Sunak, other politicians and senior members of the royal family held a two-minute silence and then laid wreaths to honour those killed in war. On Saturday, the annual Armistice Day commemoration marking the end of World War I saw more than 300 000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators march through central London, with police arresting more than 120 people as they sought to stop far-right counter protesters from ambushing the main rally. After opposition politicians blamed Suella Braverman, the interior minister, for…

Dhaka: Hundreds of Bangladeshi garment workers rallied yesterday, demanding fair wages after dis-missing a pay offer as too small, as the death toll from the violent protests last month rose to four. Bangladesh has been rocked by the worst labour unrest in a decade with tens of thousands of workers clashing with police, demanding a near-tripling of the minimum wage to 23 000 taka (about R3 900). Scores of factories have been damaged. Bangladesh’s 3 500 garment factories account for about 85% of its $55 billion in annual exports, supplying many of the world’s top brands including Levi’s, Zara and H & M. But conditions are dire for many of the 4 million workers. | AFP…

Sydney: Ports operator DP World said yesterday it had made “significant strides” to resuming normal freight trade at major gateways into Australia, crippled for two days by a cyber incident. Government agencies held crisis talks at the weekend in response to a “serious and ongoing” breach that has disrupted operations at key ports. “DP World manages almost 40% of the goods flowing in and out of our country,” Home Affairs and Cyber Security Minister Clare O’Neil said. The port operator halted internet connectivity at its terminals in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Fremantle on Friday to prevent “any ongoing unauthorised access” to its network. | AFP…

Quantum Foods Holdings said on Friday that the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak will push the company into the red in the year to September 30. The company, the largest egg producer in South Africa and an animal feed and poultry product producer for several African markets, had said in September that an HPAI outbreak had been detected at several of its farms in Gauteng and in North West Province, but at that point the full financial impact on the company was unknown. At that stage, the outbreak appeared to be confined to the northern parts of the country, and Quantum’s farms in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape were unaffected. By that time, the financial impact was expected to be at least a 100 percent decline in headline…

RICHEMONT shares tumbled 5.5% on Friday after the Cartier owner reported a 2% slow-down in operating profit from continuing operations for the half year to end September, a period in which the company faced “uncertain macroeconomic and political environment” and “adverse foreign currency movements” in some of its major markets. Operating profit at ¤2.7 billion (about R54bn) for the six months was 2% lower compared to the year earlier, on an actual exchange rate basis, although this was 15% firmer on constant exchange rate basis. Stronger sales and gross profit that was up by 5% for the period, coupled with controlled operating expenses, was not enough to stem the slide in operating profit at actual exchange rates for the company. Against the backdrop of stronger capital expenditure of €378…

THE CONTINUING dissonance of priorities in South Africa begs a number of questions that remain unanswered. It raises a deep-seated concern of the extent to which the Constitution manages to define who a person referred to as a South African should be. To date, using the lens of priorities, South Africa seems to be a country at odds with itself, where the urgent have mutated in a violent way to become important. The urgent is what now drives policy and national psyche, leaving the triple challenge in the back banner. It is now common cause that for attention to a problem to be raised, deterioration on a path should reach rock bottom. This practice has become a national pastime and has become what frames and informs our priorities. A non-issue…

I LOVE chicken, with all its parts, especially the parts that most people do not usually like because “they have no meat”. And those parts would be the feet and the head. I particularly love eating the comb, but I never imagined it would ever be sold on its own. A chicken comb is the fleshy organ on the top of the head. As odd as it may seem, the comb is considered an organ, just like the heart, liver or kidneys. It comes in various shapes and sizes, and serves a few beneficial purposes. For example, it helps the chicken regulate its body temperature in cool or hot weather. A chicken comb can also help measure the health of the chicken. As an adventurous eater, I can attest that…

Summer is here and by now you’ve already made changes to your wardrobe and this includes your accessories. However, there’s one accessory that you cannot see but certainly finishes off any outfit – your perfume. So, in the same way that you change your wardrobe, you have to change the perfume you wear as well. If you don’t have a summer fragrance in your perfume collection, now is a good time to invest in one. Here are tips on how you can go about choosing the perfect summer perfume. Consider the notes When selecting a summer perfume, opt for fragrances with light and refreshing notes. Citrus, floral, and fruity scents are often popular choices as they evoke a sense of vitality and playfulness. Look for ingredients like bergamot, orange blossom,…

THE GOOD Party says a new Basic Income Grant of R999 is the central pillar of its social security policy. GOOD Party leader Patricia de Lille shared new policies the party will add to its existing suite of policies during a press briefing yesterday. Among them was foreign policy, birthed amid the Israel- Palestine war. “We can’t claim to be a party of justice, or values, while looking away from the fact that Israel’s right-wing government has imposed apartheid on the Holy Land and is presently conducting genocide against the civilian population of Palestine,” said De Lille. “The only path to peace, now, for the people of Israel and Palestine, is for their leaders to be prevailed upon to declare an unconditional ceasefire. “The International Criminal Court must investigate and…

Katlego Malatji, a visionary engineer and the driving force behind ProjectOne Engineering, exemplifies the brilliance of African women in maths, science and innovation in the engineering space. Her journey with the Innovator Trust inspires pioneering African entrepreneurs who tackle unique African problems head-on with the solutions they create on home soil. A Foundation in Engineering and Innovation Malatji’s passion for engineering was nurtured from a young age by her father and teachers, who recognised her aptitude for maths and science. Immersing herself in the limitless engineering world, she knew it was her calling, so much so that she braved uncharted territory to pursue thrilling projects involving autonomous vehicles and passing legislation regarding artificial intelligence in the US and the UK. She has been working on cutting-edge projects involving autonomous driving,…

Israel’s army said it was ready to evacuate babies from Gaza’s largest hospital yesterday, but Palestinian officials said people inside were still trapped, with two newborns dead and dozens at risk from a power outage amid intense fighting nearby. Al-Shifa and other hospitals in northern Gaza, the focus of Israel’s month-old war to wipe out Hamas and free hostages held by the militants, were barely able to care for patients. More people are wounded daily by fierce Israeli bombardment. Speaking from inside the biggest hospital, Al-Shifa, Gaza health ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qidra said Israeli fire had not hit it directly overnight but was “terrorising medical officials and civilians alike”. Israel’s chief military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said on Saturday that Israel’s military would help evacuate babies from the hospital…

TerminallY ill British girl Indi Gregory had her life support removed yesterday after the 8-year-old’s parents lost their legal battle to have her moved to Italy for treatment, according to charity Christian Concern. The emotive case is the latest in Britain pitting parents against the country’s legal and health-care systems. Baby Indi was born on February 24 and diagnosed with mitochondrial disease, a genetic condition that prevents cells in the body producing energy. There is no cure and her parents, Claire Staniforth and Dean Gregory, wanted her to be treated at the Vatican-owned Bambino Gesu hospital. But a British court ruled against transferring her despite the government in Rome awarding her citizenship. Her father, Dean Gregory, said his daughter was “fighting hard” despite no longer being on life support and…

Bangkok: A Myanmar military jet has crashed in the east of the country where fighting is ongoing, the junta said yesterday, with anti-coup fighters claiming they had shot it down. The country has been riven by conflict since the 2021 military coup, with multiple armed ethnic groups battling the junta on different fronts. In the last two weeks fighting has intensified in northern Shan state, near the Chinese border, in what analysts say poses the biggest military challenge to the generals since they seized power. The light fighter jet, carrying two pilots, came down on Saturday between the eastern Kayin and Kayah states. | AFP…

EASTERN Platinum said Friday that it intends to raise capital for its projects following a sharp surge in revenues in the third quarter from its chrome mining operations. Revenue increased by a massive 505.6% to $21.8 million ($3.6m) in its third quarter to September 30, with the year-on-year increase driven mainly by an increase in chrome prices. Year-to-date (YTD) revenue increased 94% to $80.5m from $41.5m, the miner said on Friday in a statement about its third quarter results. “Although chrome production decreased this quarter, we are still encouraged by revenue generated from the tailings storage facility. “As we have started blasting activities at the Zandfontein underground section of the Crocodile River Mine, (CRM) we expect to process the underground ore in the first quarter of 2024,” chief executive…

IN HIS FAMOUS “I am an African” speech, former president Thabo Mbeki says: “I owe my being to the Khoi and the San, whose desolate souls haunt the great expanses of the beautiful Cape, they who fell victim to the most merciless genocide our native land has ever seen, they who were the first to lose their lives in the struggle to defend our freedom and independence and they who, as a people, perished in the result. “Today, as a country, we keep an audible silence about these ancestors of the generations that live, fearful to admit the horror of a former deed, seeking to obliterate from our memories a cruel occurrence which, in its remembering, should teach us not and never to be inhuman again. “I am formed of…

CITY health workers have been conducting medical testing at Culemborg Safe Space One following reports of a food-borne illness and a number of people ill. The shelter space facility – which provides overnight shelter for up to 230 homeless people – was reportedly placed on lockdown at the weekend after a number of people displayed symptoms. While the City did not respond to questions by deadline yesterday, Mayco member for health and community services Patricia van der Ross confirmed that health staff had been at the facility since Friday evening conducting tests but they were yet to receive results. Provincial Health and Wellness spokesperson Byron la Hoe said: “The cases in question at the facility are not diphtheria but as a result of food-borne illness, which was responded to by…

DEPUTY President Paul Mashatile says a funding proposal for a new student financial aid model will be submitted to Cabinet before the end of the year. Answering oral questions in the National Assembly last week, Mashatile said the Department of Higher Education and Training was already engaged in preparing the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) for the 2024 academic year through various measures, including finalisation of a new comprehensive student financial aid model for Cabinet’s approval. “As part of a process of developing this model the department consulted stakeholders including Business Association of South Africa, Nedlac and others like the organized labour. “According to the Minister of Higher Education and Training, a clear proposal on a funding model will be submitted to Cabinet by the end of this year,”…

THE Eastern Cape Education Department has confirmed that a case has been opened with the police in which it is alleged that seven boys, aged 10 to 13, raped three girls under the age of 10 at a school in the province. Eastern Cape Education Department spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said the department had enlisted the assistance of counsellors after the incident. “A case has been opened with the police and the department has instituted an investigation to determine the extent of the situation, so that a sanction can be equivalent to the extent of the crime that has been committed. We want to call on parents to work with us so issues of this nature are reported.” Javu Baloyi, spokesperson for the Commission for Gender Equality, said violence begets violence.…

ABOUT 1.3 million children globally die every year due to diseases related to poor hygiene practices, according to the World Health Organization. More than 60 percent or at least 800 000 of these are children under the age of 5. Simply put, these deaths occur as a result of not washing hands with soap and water. If nothing drastic is done, this number could rise in the next coming years. The question is why is this happening when the recent outbreak of the Covid pandemic taught us that washing hands with soap and water can prevent the spread of diseases? The answer to that is simple. We don’t integrate enough of our efforts to increase awareness about the importance of hand washing as one of the most effective strategies for…

San Francisco, with a population of about 810 000 people, has a homeless population exceeding 7 000. Encampments and open-air drug markets have crowded some city streets, tarnishing the city’s reputation around the world. One of the most expensive cities in the US is moving homeless people and destroying their encampments in an attempt to clean the parts of the city that will host more than 20 world leaders for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week 2023 summit that kicked off on Saturday. According to reports describing the raids, officials are targeting several areas in the SoMa district of San Francisco, sometimes asking the homeless not to return until after the conference is over and utilising “night ambassadors” to keep the area clear. US President Joe Biden and Chinese…

Dehradun: At least 40 construction workers were trapped yesterday after the road tunnel they were building collapsed in northern India, with rescuers scrambling to reach them beneath piles of debris. The cave-in occurred early yesterday in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand when a group of workers were moving out and replacement workers were going in. “About 20m of the tunnel have collapsed,” a state disaster response official said. “Oxygen is being supplied through the debris, but more rubble is coming down.” The 4.5km tunnel is being constructed between Silkyara and Dandalgaon to connect two of the holiest Hindu shrines of Uttarkashi and Yamnotri. | AFP…

PARIS: Tens of thousands were to attend a march against anti-Semitism in Paris yesterday amid bickering by political parties over who should take part and a surge in anti-Semitic incidents across France with nearly 1 250 such acts. Tensions have been rising in the French capital, home to large Jewish and Muslim communities, in the wake of the October 7 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel, followed by a month of Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip. More than 3 000 police and gendarmes were deployed to maintain security yesteday. President Emmanuel Macron said the march should show France as “united behind its values”. | AFP…