Table of contents for 2023-11-27 in Cape Times

THE NATIONAL Treasury will next year introduce new legislation to ring-fence fairness, openness and integrity in the banking sector after Standard Chartered Bank admitted to manipu- lating the rand as pressure mounted on the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) to act against the banks, some of which are still denying involvement in the scandal. Standard Chartered became the second bank to pay a settlement after admitting to manipulating the rand during the period 2007 to 2013. Earlier, Citibank also paid a settlement of R69.5 million, with 26 other South African and international banks still appearing before the Competition Tribunal over their involvement in the scheme that affected remittances, employees and the economy at large. Although the SARB said it was banking on the Competition Commission to deal with the…

THE INDEPENDENT Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) on Friday published draft amendments to the Radio Frequency Spectrum Assignment Plan (RFSAP) for the frequency band 2 300 MHz to 2 400 MHz, ahead of a planned auction. Icasa said in the Government Gazette that the amendments were published for public comment, and the RFSAP would supersede any previous spectrum assignment. This RFSAP was envisaged to come into effect on April 1, 2023. No new assignments in the band 2 300 MHz – 2 400 MHz would be approved unless they complied with the new RFSAP. The frequency was currently used for flight testing, but existing users would be required to cease using the frequency, the draft regulation said. MTN said on Friday that it…

INDIA, the largest consumer and second- largest producer of sugar globally, has being named the chair of the International Sugar Organisation (ISO) for 2024. Accord- ing to a press release by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribu- tion, this announcement came during the ISO’s 63rd council meeting in London. Sanjeev Chopra, Secretary (Food), Gov- ernment of India, expressed India’s com- mitment to spearheading sustainable practices in sugarcane cultivation, sugar and ethanol production and maximising the utilisation of by-products. India has a substantial 15% share in global sugar consumption and contributes 20% to global sugar production. The country’s status as the largest consumer and the second-largest producer makes it an ideal candidate to lead the apex international body for sugar-related products, the ISO, which boasts a membership of…

Dean Burmester didn’t have much time to properly prepare for the Joburg Open, but it didn’t matter. The feeling of being back home and the passion of the fans were enough as Burmester won the Joburg Open by three strokes at Houghton Golf Club yesterday. With a final round of 64, Burmester claimed his third DP World Tour title on 18 under par and at the same time booked his place in next year’s Open at Royal Troon as the first of the top-three finishers not already exempt for the Major. “We recently bought a house in Florida and were busy moving, so there wasn’t much time to prepare for this event,” said the now US-based Burmester. “But when I landed here, I did some great preparation in the practice…

Tottenham Hotspur slipped to a third successive Premier League defeat as they were beaten 2-1 at home by Aston Villa in an absorbing clash full of chances yesterday. Villa’s first win on the road in just over two months took them above Tottenham into fourth place in the table but it did not look likely as they were outplayed in the first half. The hosts were given a deserved lead by Giovani lo Celso’s deflected shot in the 22nd minute and could have been comfortably ahead before Pau Torres levelled with a thumping header deep in first half stoppage-time. Chances continued to flow both ways after the break but it was Villa who went ahead with a fine finish by Ollie Watkins just past the hour mark after being set…

Liverpool vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold wants his side to grab all three points when they take on their opponents, but given Manchester City’s form at home, the right back said Saturday’s 1-1 draw is a step in the right direction. The 25-year-old, a product of Liverpool’s academy, ended City’s run of 23 wins at the Etihad Stadium in all competitions, including a 4-1 hammering of the Merseyside outfit in April, when he drilled in an 80th-minute equaliser with his right foot. After finishing fifth in the Premier League last season, Liverpool are just two points adrift of the top spot in this campaign. Asked whether something was building at Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold said: “For sure. There’s been many times we’ve played a lot better against City and lost the game. So, to…

The Lions’ deadly dismantling of Zebre at the weekend had their supporters casting their minds back to the glory days at Ellis Park under Johan Ackermann and Swys de Bruin. And while it’s true that the Italians are no great shakes, there are strong suggestions that the Lions have turned a corner. They have been threatening a revival all season and while the results have not been favourable, they could have won all of those games. The difference this time was the profitable use of the bountiful possession that the forwards have been winning all season. Until this game, the Lions’ conversion rate of opportunities in the enemy danger zone has been parlous. Against Zebre, the Lions’ playmakers came good and speed merchants like Edwill van der Merwe, Henco van…

THE NELSON Mandela Bay Business Chamber has warned that the logistics crisis at Durban Port was having a knock-on effect and impacting on the sustainability of imports and exports in Gqeberha. This comes as Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) is working around the clock to clear the backlog of more than 60 vessels carrying thousands of containers that are clogged outside the Port of Durban as a result of bad weather and ageing equipment. As TPT estimates up to 15 weeks to clear the backlog, the challenges at the Port of Durban have also spilled over to the Port of Cape Town as shipping companies look to berth their ships and offload cargo to avoid losing money while on anchorage. The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, which has around 700 member…

AGRICULTURE remains the doyen of the South African economy, despite its minuscule official contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) which was 3.57% in 2022, equating to approximately R134 billion. The agricultural sector continues to punch above its weight in terms of its contribution to the ailing economy in the country. To illustrate this point, while total GDP grew by 0.6%, quarter-on-quarter, agricultural GDP grew by 4.2% over the same period, making it the fastest-growing sector of the South African economy. One of the reasons why South Africa has been thriving for years is the fact that the sector is well-developed and has had a strong research and development foundation that enjoyed substantial public sector investment, which spawned the Agricultural Research Council, among others. The other enabling factor has…

ZIMBABWE’S blueberry production, the country’s fastest growing crop, is under threat from a currency crisis and high borrowing costs, an industry body said. Global consumption of the blue fruit has increased in recent years due to its per- ceived health benefits which, some studies say, include helping to ward off several key-risk health factors. Zimbabwe, where climatic conditions allow high yields from open field planting and early delivery into export markets doubled its blueberry production to 7 000 metric tons this year, according to the Horticultural Develop- ment Council (HDC). But plantings, which have expanded by nearly 800% to 575 hectares since 2018, stalled this year as farmers battled high borrowing costs and the impact of a volatile economic climate. “There were no significant…

On his return to politics in Lesotho, Chief Retselisitsoe Sekhonyana (who died on November 18, 1998) said he had come back to it out of patriotism because he had, after all, over the years, gotten enough from his life. He called himself a flea that was full and needed no more. He had sucked enough blood and there was no more space for sucking further. Over the past two weeks, I have been visiting a kennel of a different kind. One where the bark is equal if not bigger and better than the bite. The bark and bite give one hope that a different South Africa is in the making, far from the glitter and glamour of the gutter politics we have become accustomed to. In modern slang – South…

For the cake 500ml all-purpose flour 5ml baking powder ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda ½ tsp salt ½ cups sugar 2 tsp ground cardamom ¼ cup chopped pistachio nuts 1 tbsp ground flaxseed 1 cup courgettes, grated ¾ cup plant milk 4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus extra for drizzling 1 tbsp lemon zest ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp sunflower oil 1 tsp vanilla extract Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a small bread tin or line it with baking paper. To make the cake: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, sugar and cardamom. Add the chopped pistachios and set aside. Prepare the flax egg by mixing the flaxseed with 45ml water, and set aside. Wrap the grated courgette tightly in…

Despite the deployment of law enforcement authorities, including private security, in certain crime hotspots and potential risk areas, opportunistic criminals remain undeterred, as evidenced by several incidents recorded over the weekend. During the RMB Ultra-Trail Cape Town, three athletes were robbed of their running shoes, hydration packs, and other gear near Ocean View on Saturday, confirming concerns about safety along the 160-kilometer trail. “The three runners are physically unharmed and have chosen to carry on with the race. All runners passing through the Simon’s Town checkpoint are being informed, and the matter has been handed over to the South African Police Service,” said race director Stuart McConnachie. Ahead of the race, organisers and other officials said to ensure safety, deployments were increased especially around Table Mountain. This after elite runner…

Will Manie Libbok and Damian Willemse be the panacea to the Stormers’ ills? Coach John Dobson will hope so, because on the evidence of their tour of Europe, the Capetonians desperately need their World Cup-winning Springboks to help them rediscover their mojo. Before that happens, though, Dobson needs to consider whether he will take immediate action against some players who have repeatedly let the team down this season, or whether he will give them a stay of execution ... for now. The only thing good about the Stormers at the moment is their scrum – and the fact that they are back home from a forgettable four weeks up north, which ended with a comical 31-24 loss to Cardiff in Wales on Friday. They need to get their plans in…

Red Bull’s triple world champion Max Verstappen wrapped up Formula One’s most dominant season with a record-extending 19th win in 22 races at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix yesterday. The pole-to-flag victory, for the fourth year in a row under the Yas Marina floodlights, left the 26-year-old alone in third place in Formula One’s all-time list of winners with a career 54. Only seven-time champions Lewis Hamilton (103) and Michael Schumacher (91) have won more. Sergio Perez finished second for Red Bull but a five- second post-race penalty dropped the Mexican off the podium, behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ George Russell. Leclerc had let Perez through on the penultimate lap in a strategic calculation to help his team’s bid for second place that ultimately came to nothing when…

GOLDEN ARROWS 0 CAPE TOWN CITY (1) 1 Mayo 8 A SOLITARY goal by Khanyisa Mayo saw Cape Town City beat Golden Arrows at the Mpumalanga Stadium yesterday evening. The Citizens leapfrogged Mamelodi Sundowns to lead the DStv Premiership standings with the victory, although the defending champions have five games in hand. City continued their impressive form in the league and secured a sixth consecutive victory, while Arrows fell to their fourth successive defeat in all competitions. One of the dark horses in this season’s title race, City took their aspirations to a hostile and unpredictable Hammarsdale audience, with wet conditions contributing to a fast tempo. Visiting coach Eric Tinkler deployed his familiar 4-3-3 formation with Mayo leading the charge alongside Thabiso Kutumela and Taahir Goedeman. It came as no…

Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia won the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix yesterday to claim a second straight MotoGP world championship after closest contender Jorge Martin crashed out following a collision with Marc Marquez. Pramac Racing’s Martin, who was 14 points behind Bagnaia going into the final race, made the title race tighter by winning Saturday’s sprint but was ultimately unable to thwart the Italian. Bagnaia, who began the race on pole after Maverick Vinales was handed a three-place penalty, had an excellent start but was matched in the first two laps by Martin, who moved up from sixth into second by turn two of the race. However, Martin was reckless in his eagerness to overtake Bagnaia, and a coming together between the two on turn one of the…

THE CONGRESS of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) says it is deeply ang- ered by the “shocking” findings of the Competition Commission that 27 domestic and foreign banks had actively manipu- lated the value of the rand between 2007 and 2018. The commission found the rand manipulation may have cost the economy, workers, the State and businesses a pain- ful R1 billion. This meant that loans by South African companies and government in foreign currency were charged for at much higher rates. In a statement on Friday, Cosatu said if government did not act, then South Africa should not be surprised if the country continued to be grey-listed by the international community. “If we sweep this under the carpet, then we should not be shocked when it happens…

AS THE ANNUAL canola harvest begins to wind down across various regions in South Africa, Southern Oil (Soill) said it anticipated an impressive total yield of more than 220 000 tons of canola seed. The modern oil extraction plant and edible oil refinery, situated in Swellendam in the Western Cape, said although this year’s harvest was ongoing – having commenced in early October and set to conclude towards the end of this month – the predicted total yield was notably impressive. Zander Spammer, agricultural resource manager at Soill, last week said that in just four years, the harvest was expected to surge by more than 130 000 tons, rising from 94 317 tons in 2019 to an anticipated 220 000 tons this year. Spammer attributed this…

TO ENSURE business continuity, succession planning is crucial to any business. This is a process of ensuring that talented individuals with potential are identified and groomed to take over a role should the individual holding that role leave or be incapacitated for any reason. When done right, succession planning presents huge benefits to the company. The most obvious benefit is ensuring that the business can continue into the future without the reliance on a single individual. Other benefits include improved employee morale and cost saving in replacement searches to find external talent. Employee morale and commitment increases when employees know that they have a future in the organisation, their talents and commitment are noticed, appreciated and rewarded. Succession planning should be an organisation wide practice and part of the culture…

After failing to fill up the 25 000 capacity Orlando Stadium, PA leader Gayton McKenzie has apologised and promised to host another spectacle in 90 days. Scores of supporters were forced to scramble for water after spending hours waiting for McKenzie to address them for the party’s 10th year anniversary celebrations on Saturday. In a statement, McKenzie yesterday apologised to his supporters for failing to fill the stadium. The party’s celebrations were nothing to write home about after fewer than 5 000 PA supporters showed up for the gathering The event, which was meant to start at 1pm, only got under way after 5pm, with many of the supporters complaining of hunger and dehydration after spending hours waiting for McKenzie to address them. “Do not be disheartened, patriots, let us…

Police unions have raised concern over the number of police deaths, both on and off duty, this year. This comes after David Bruce, a policing consultant with the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), said a total of 90 police officers were killed in the first nine months of this year from January to September. The latest crime statistics show that 35 officers were killed on and off duty between July and September 2023. Since the start of the financial year in April, 78 officers were killed in South Africa. Last week Sergeant Riaad Adams was killed by robbers in Durban and two police officers were buried in Ulundi and Gauteng on Saturday. Public Order Policing (POP) member Constable Sphesihle Cele was shot while on duty at a tavern in Empangeni…

‘China remains dedicated to supporting African countries in developmental aspirations’ ON NOVEMBER 15, the Hong Ting Forum Dialogue in Cape Town brought together distinguished speakers and experts to discuss the modernisation paths of China and African nations. This gathering was a testament to the enduring partnership between China and Africa and their shared aspirations for progress and prosperity. I would like to share some of my insights about the Hong Ting Forum on key areas such as cultural exchanges, technology and innovation, education and capacity building, economic and infrastructure development, environmental sustainability, and peace enhancement, providing a comprehensive understanding of the varied paths to modernisation. Under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, the nation has embarked on a unique path towards modernisation, one that is deeply rooted in socialism…

The Bulls are starting to rumble – and they have room to get even better as more Springboks and other top players return from injury. Scoring seven tries and a half-century of points against a competitive team such as Connacht was impressive enough, but it was the manner in which the Pretoria side did it in their 53-27 United Rugby Championship victory at Loftus Versfeld yesterday that should send a warning to the other title contenders. The Bulls are now third on the log with 20 points from six matches, behind Glasgow (25) and Leinster (24). Next up for Jake White’s team will be the Sharks – who finally hit their straps in a 69-14 win over the Dragons at Kings Park yesterday – in what is a blockbuster December…

No wonder John Plumtree was miffed when he was not allowed to use the Sharks’ Springboks for three post-World Cup weeks because when he did get them back, the switch was flicked with staggering results. Two weeks ago Plumtree had questioned the wisdom of Bok fringe players like Jaden Hendrikse and Grant Williams being idle when their province urgently needed them, and those two players alone made a big difference in the Sharks slaying the Dragons 69-14 on Saturday with a rousing exhibition of attacking rugby. Also, during the Sharks’ horror start to the URC, Plumtree prophesied that his team was not far off giving some teams a “good walloping”. And that came to pass thanks to the addition of the experience and leadership of Eben Etzebeth, Ox Nche, Hendrikse,…