Table of contents for 2024-01-04 in Cape Times

from page 1 by his two friends). “Weer met die wit fortuner my gestamp dat sy grill breek, omdat hy nie vir die polisie wou wag nie (Again I was knocked with the Fortuner that the grill broke because he refused to wait for the police)… Die langarm van die gereg moet een of ander tyd sy hande uit sy sakke haal (the long arm of justice must some or other time remove its hands from its pockets),” Hayes said. When contacted yesterday, Hayes declined to comment further and said he was busy reporting the incident to the police. Richards said Hayes acted within his rights and performed his duty without fear, favour or prejudice, when he carried out his oversight function as a ward councillor. “It remains the right…

Artists, friends and members of the provincial government gathered at The Playhouse in Durban yesterday to pay tribute to playwright, actor, theatre producer and singer Mbongeni Ngema yesterday. Ngema was killed in a car accident on December 27. Khwezi Kunene, the chairperson of The Playhouse council, said numerous productions by Ngema had been performed at The Playhouse. Ngema joined The Playhouse in the late 1990s as the director in the musicals'department. “The doors of the Durban Playhouse were always open for Dr Ngema until his last production, which was staged about three weeks ago,” he said. Kunene said that Ngema was also involved in their community arts festivals. Joy Mbewana, president of the Cultural & Creative Industries Federation of South Africa, said Ngema had been a close friend. “I was…

Patriotic Alliance councillor claims slapping John Hayes was in retaliation Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader in the Western Cape, Joseph Farmer, could land in hot water after he assaulted Cederberg municipality speaker Dr John Hayes during a confrontation captured on video. In the video, posted by Hayes, Farmer is seen slapping Hayes before bystanders appear to attempt to break up the confrontation which allegedly took place outside a local sports complex in Lambert’s Bay on Tuesday. Cederberg mayor Ruben Richards said Hayes was conducting an inspection of a municipal facility which was illegally occupied and where the tenants were alleged to be selling alcohol without proper authorisation, when he was physically assaulted on the premises. Richards said Council was currently in recess but due process would be followed regarding the alleged…

THE National Department of Health says the outbreak of cholera in neighbouring countries has led to the government intensifying screening efforts at South Africa’s borders. Zimbabwe, one of the countries experiencing a cholera outbreak, declared a state of emergency in November owing to the rising number of cases. Health spokesperson Foster Mohale said the department was working with the Border Management Authority, among other stakeholders, in an effort to stop the spread of cholera into the country. “We have intensified health screening services and health education at the land ports of entry to mitigate against the cross-border transmission of the disease,” he said. The department urged all travellers returning from cholera-endemic areas, including Zimbabwe, to be vigilant of cholera symptoms and to co-operate with health officials, and be transparent. “All…

Mbongeni Ngema, who decried the injustices of white-rule apartheid while celebrating black culture and resilience in works including the Broadway hit Sarafina!, which later became a film starring Whoopi Goldberg, died on December 27 following a car accident. He was 68. Ngema was riding in a car involved in a head-on collision in the Eastern Cape, according to a family statement. He died at a hospital in Mbizana. The struggles of the apartheid era – endemic poverty, repression and political marginalisation – were the core of Ngema’s stage productions, which reached audiences across the world and made Ngema among the leading artistic voices challenging white-minority rule. His Tony-nominated musical Sarafina! (1987) was inspired by deadly clashes that began in Soweto in 1976 over orders for schools to adopt Afrikaans as…

US President Joe Biden’s administration said this week that it would reopen several southern border crossings this week that have been closed as a result of the record number of migrants arriving in the US. Officials said tighter enforcement by Mexico and a holiday lull led to lower numbers of illegal entries, after weeks of acute strains. The announcement came ahead of a visit to the southern border by dozens of House Republicans led by Speaker Mike Johnson. The group were to visit Eagle Pass, Texas, where large crowds of migrants waded across the Rio Grande last month, spending chilly nights in an outdoor holding area set up by overstretched Border Patrol agents. US agents recorded nearly 250 000 illegal crossings along the southern border in December, the highest…

A 62-year-old Australian woman can harvest her dead husband’s sperm, after convincing a judge the pair were considering having a baby before he died. The couple started thinking about another child after their son, 31, was killed in a car accident in 2019. Six years earlier, their daughter, 29, had drowned during a fishing trip. Spurred by these traumatic events, the couple started investigating whether the sperm of the husband, 61, could be used to impregnate a surrogate. After he died on December 17, his wife asked the hospital morgue to collect and store his sperm. But the hospital dragged its feet, forcing the urgent court bid. Researchers say reproductive tissue should ideally be collected within two days after death. Judge Fiona Seaward agreed the sperm could be harvested but…

Tokyo: Japanese transport authorities yesterday started a probe into the cause of a collision between a Coast Guard aircraft and a Japan Airlines (JAL) passenger plane at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport the previous day, which led to more than 300 flight cancellations. The Japan Transport Safety Board said it had retrieved the flight and voice recorders of the Coast Guard aircraft and was still searching for those of the JAL plane. The plane’s crew said they proceeded with landing after confirming with air traffic control. The crash forced the airport to shut down all runways for hours, leading to cancellations of 226 flights, affecting more than 40 000 passengers. | AFP…

STOCKHOLM: Sweden faces a possible recession in 2024, especially after the central bank ended its 18-month run of interest rate hikes. Swedish insolvencies spiked by 29% in 2023, the highest since 1990s, after the property bubble burst. Credit rating firm UC said December saw a 23% year-on-year rise in bankruptcies, which could indicate deeper economic issues, especially against the backdrop of sustained high inflation and interest rates. Sweden’s central bank has ended its 18-month run of interest rate hikes. Sectors including construction, retail and the hospitality industry are seeing fewer new start-ups than at any time in the past decade. | Sputnik…

IT is unlikely that Antonio van Wyk would be aware of Gary George’s seminal work Winning is a Habit. But the 21-year-old Stellenbosch FC attacker speaks like someone who has read and totally bought into the ways of Vincent Lombardi, the man generally considered American football’s greatest coach. Still a peripheral player at Stellies, Van Wyk nevertheless utters phrases that you’d expect from seasoned campaigners and his outlook on football matters belies his age. He was in his element describing what it means and feels like to be a trophy winner. “To win a major trophy so early in my career is a great feeling,” he said in reference to the club’s recent Carling Knockout success. “This is definitely helping me to develop a winning mentality. And for me, having…

The local food and wine industry is mourning the death of Michael Olivier, one of South Africa’s greatest wine and food commentators, who died last Friday evening. Olivier was also a well-known South African restaurateur and author. “It is with great sadness that we announce the gentle passing of our beloved Michael Olivier on the evening of Friday, 29th December. We thank you all for your support during this impossible time. May his soul rest in peace,” the family said in an Instagram post. His website reads: “As a young aspiring chef, Michael laid a solid foundation for his career at the Cordon Bleu Cooking School in London. “Over the next 30 years, he had a series of high-profile hospitality management posts, was the public relations manager for Boschendal, and…

MALAYSIA and Türkiye have become among the first countries to rally behind South Africa’s application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel. This comes after South Africa applied to the ICJ to get the court in The Hague to hear its case against the State of Israel. In its application to the ICJ, South Africa says Israel’s war on Palestine has become “genocidal” and turned into “crimes against humanity”. The SA Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) said the case would be heard on January 11, by the International Criminal Court (ICC), with the State of Israel confirming that it would oppose the application. SA became the first country to file such an application amid the global condemnation and widespread calls for a ceasefire. In a…

IT is not technically possible to exempt key institutions from load shedding, Eskom maintains, after it approached the courts for leave to appeal against the landmark judgment which had ordered sufficient supply or generation of electricity to key public institutions in the healthcare, education and safety sectors. At the start of 2023, fed-up civil society organisations, unions and opposition parties initiated legal proceedings seeking to put an end to load shedding, and “hold the government accountable for its failure to provide electricity to the nation”. Late last year, Judge Norman Davis ultimately found that the government's failure to protect Eskom from criminal activity and state capture, which manifested in the energy crisis and in load shedding, constituted breaches to protect and promote the Bill of Rights. He ordered Electricity Minister…

Ingredients 1½ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup cocoa powder 2 cups sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 2 large eggs(room temp) 1 cup buttermilk (room temp) 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp white vinegar ½ cup hot coffee Method In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder, and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and oil. Add in the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk in the vinegar and hot coffee. Once combined, slowly add the dry ingredients and fold in with a spatula, just until combined. The batter will not be smooth (don’t overmix). Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with…

Mpumalanga police are seeking help to track down the family of two abducted children, including a four-month-old baby girl, while two women accused of the alleged abduction were expected to make their second court appearance this week. The duo – Grace Gumbo, 26, and Mercy Tsoko, 28, who were arrested on New Year’s Day – are alleged to have abducted three children, including the baby girl snatched last Thursday. “Police got a tip-off from community members about the two women who were pretending to be caregivers, roaming around Ogies with three babies,” said Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Selvy Mohlala. “The police in Kriel swiftly responded to the information then managed to arrest the two suspects, and reportedly found them with three children, two baby girls as well as a toddler. “The…

If it is to neutralise the main rebel groups, much-needed funds and an overhaul are required The security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has deteriorated in recent months, and criticism has been raised against the UN force, Monusco, which was due to start its drawdown shortly after the national elections on December 20. There was also increased frustration with the East African Community Regional Force because of its lack of positive impact on the security situation in the eastern DRC. In addition, there was competition between the East African Community and Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states for future influence in the DRC. The DRC became a member of the East Africa Community in 2022 and has historical trade relations with east Africa. The SADC mission…

Japanese rescuers struggled with heavy rain, blocked roads and aftershocks yesterday following a powerful earthquake that killed at least 64 people and left tens of thousands without power or running water. Throughout the Ishikawa prefecture on the main island of Honshu sirens blared as emergency vehicles tried to navigate roads blocked by rocks and fallen trees. The Noto Peninsula was worst hit by the 7.5-magnitude quake on January 1, with port towns like Wajima and Suzu resembling war zones with roads of mud, flattened homes and sunken boats. “I can never go back there. It’s unlivable now,” 75-year-old Yoko Demura said from a shelter in the city of Nanao, where she went after her home was reduced to rubble. “It makes me sad and I will miss it,” she said.…

TEL AVIV: Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has hit back at ally the US over its criticism of his push for the transfer of Gazans out of the Palestinian territory. “The United States is our best friend, but first of all we will do what is best for the State of Israel: the migration of hundreds of thousands from Gaza will allow the (Israeli) residents of the envelope to return home and live in security and will protect the IDF (Israeli) soldiers,” the extreme-right minister posted on X. This comes after the US State Department criticised his call for a population transfer as “inflammatory and irresponsible”. Expelling civilians during a conflict is a war crime. The majority of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents have been forced out of their homes…

Houston: The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Texas can ban emergency abortions, despite President Joe Biden’s administration arguing that federal guidance should take priority over state laws banning the procedure. “The Texas plaintiffs’ argument that medical treatment is historically subject to police power of the states, not to be superseded unless that was the clear and manifest purpose of Congress, is convincing,” Judge Kurt Engelhardt, an appointee of former president Donald Trump, wrote. Texas had sued the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over its guidance on the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. | IANS…

THE uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party has vowed to end load shedding and reduce fuel costs when it takes over the government from the ANC after the elections. This emerged at a meeting between former president Jacob Zuma and the leader of African Democratic Change (ADeC), Visvin Reddy. The long meeting at Zuma’s homestead in Nkandla ran from Tuesday night until yesterday morning. In a series of videos shared by Reddy, the two leaders discussed key issues which included crippling load shedding and high fuel costs which have threatened to collapse the country’s economy. Zuma said the MK party would prioritise ending load shedding, adding that there would never be load shedding. The country was not supposed to be having load shedding since he stopped it by bringing in people who…

WESTERN Cape serious violent crime detectives are on the hunt for a suspect allegedly involved in the murders of three people in Gugulethu, after they made swift arrests of his alleged accomplices. New Year’s day at NY 137 was marred by a shooting after four people came under attack in the afternoon while in a vehicle. Three men died in the hail of bullets and one was seriously wounded. “Reports at the disposal of police indicate the victims were in a vehicle about to drop off someone when another vehicle with occupants emerged and several shots were fired,” said provincial police spokesperson Novela Potelwa. “As a consequence three people died from the first vehicle and a fourth one was taken to a medical facility after sustaining serious injuries. “Since the…

ANYONE who has travelled on Eastern Cape roads will tell you why it comes as no surprise that it is among the provinces with the highest number of fatalities, especially during the busy seasons. Some of the horror crashes have been attributed to driver behaviour. However, the provincial government has to take accountability for the alarming state of its roads. While there have been notable improvements here and there, including the expansion of some of the highways, potholes remain the biggest challenge that those in the government have been unable to permanently fix. The lack of visibility by traffic officers does not help the situation. Perhaps the province needs to partner with the neighbouring Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal in sharing ideas of reducing road carnage? As of last week, more…

UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon warned yesterday that increased hostilities could prove “devastating”, a day after a presumed Israeli strike killed Hamas’s deputy leader in a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut. “We are deeply concerned at any potential for escalation that could have devastating consequences for people on both sides,” said UNIFIL deputy spokesperson Kandice Ardiel. “We continue to implore all parties cease their fire, and any interlocutors with influence to urge restraint.” The strike on Tuesday killed Saleh al-Aruri, deputy head of Hamas, in Beirut’s southern suburbs, two Lebanese security officials said, blaming Israel. Hamas, at war with Israel in Gaza for almost three months, confirmed Aruri’s death, which Lebanese state media said came in an Israeli drone strike that also killed six others. Hamas said Aruri would be buried…

Hundreds of flood warnings were in place in the UK yesterday, after strong winds and rain lashed large parts of the country, hitting travel and cutting power. The strongest gusts from Storm Henk were recorded on Tuesday afternoon on the Isle of Wight, off England’s south coast, where the wind reached 151km/h. The wind got up to 81 mph at Exeter airport, along the south coast in Devon, the Met Office weather agency said. Gloucestershire Police in western England said a man in his 50s was killed when a tree fell on his car during the storms near Cirencester. Yesterday, the Environment Agency said it had issued 294 flood warnings, where flooding is expected, and 341 flood alerts, where flooding is possible, in England. Several residents had to be…

Istanbul: Türkiye said yesterday that it had detained 56 high-priority suspects wanted by 18 countries for crimes ranging from drug dealing and money laundering to murder, counterfeiting and assault. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the suspects were listed on Interpol’s “red notice” on “diffusion message” systems, which flag suspects sought for arrest and extradition by individual countries. The detained people were wanted in the US, Germany, India and several former Soviet republics as well as other parts of Asia and the Middle East. Yerlikaya’s office did not disclose names, noting only that the suspects were rounded up in co-ordinated security sweeps. | AFP…

CHIBOK: Jihadists have killed at least 15 people in New Year’s Day attacks on two villages near the town of Chibok in Nigeria’s Borno State. Jihadist fighters in trucks fitted with machine guns and on motorcycles stormed into Gatamarwa and Tsiha villages on Monday, killing residents and burning homes after looting food supplies, residents said. It was not clear which group was behind the attacks but both Boko Haram and rival Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) carry out raids in the area. The attackers, dressed as soldiers, opened fire on residents. More than 40 000 people have been killed and around 2 million displaced in 14 years of conflict. | AFP…

SOUTH Africa’s 55 all out on the first day of the second Test at Newlands yesterday was not only the lowest total against India in Tests but was also South Africa’s eighth-lowest total in the format. A batter’s graveyard It is also their worst innings total since readmission in 1992. The first day saw 75.1 overs bowled, while the batters from both teams managed only 270 runs and the game is already into the third innings of the match. Proteas fightback On the stroke of tea, Nandre Burger inspired a brilliant fightback from the Proteas pace attack with India on 72-1, with only Kagiso Rabada hitting his straps with the new ball, having claimed Yashasvi Jaiswal’s wicket in the third over of India’s first innings. Burger endured a tough first…