Table of contents for 2024-01-25 in Cape Times

from page 1 and ensure they sign the consent form to enable financial verification. “All students rejected for financial eligibility will be re-assessed and reviewed for the missing middle loan. NSFAS is currently developing guidelines of the loan scheme and they will be communicated to the public in a week’s time,” he added. The loan scheme will fund both undergraduate and postgraduate students with 70% of these being students in the science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) programmes, and may be adjusted to include commercial programmes that are in demand in the labour market or entrepreneurial programmes. Universities South Africa (Usaf) CEO Dr Phethiwe Matutu said for as long universities have not received the full details from NSFAS and the department on how to deal with students that are to…

VERULAM residents in Trenance Park, eThekwini, who have been without water for almost 100 days say their relief was short-lived on Tuesday when water supply was restored to their taps for a few hours, only for them to run dry again. Residents who spoke to Independent Media yesterday said they were fed up and disappointed as their lives were disrupted by the ongoing water outages. Protests have erupted in the area and other neighbouring communities that are affected by the outages. Resident Anusha Ramroop said the situation was dire as they had to constantly collect water in order to be able to perform basic chores. “It’s really bad, we can’t cook, bathe or do washing. We can’t do anything. There’s no drinking water and the tankers do come but only…

TWENTY-SIX incidents of burglary and vandalism were reported at 24 schools in the province over the December holiday period. Education MEC David Maynier said the incidents occurred despite the Western Cape Education Department providing holiday security to 486 schools over the holidays. “While this is a significant decrease compared to the same holiday period last year, when 48 incidents were reported at 42 schools, we are nonetheless disappointed that once again our schools must pick up the pieces after criminal damage and theft,” Maynier said. Items stolen or damaged ranged from gas cylinders and food to computers and cameras. Damaged property included electrical boxes, windows, ceilings, doors and security equipment. “It is unacceptable that funding has to be diverted from educational purposes each year to replace items that have been…

WHILE welcoming the proposed amendments to the Marine Living Resources Act, the South African International Maritime Institute (Saimi) has cautioned against these measures being used to increase red tape. Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Barbara Creecy published draft regulations last Friday relating to the entry of foreign fishing vessels into South African waters in terms of sections of the Marine Living Resources Act, for public comment. The changes touch on the permit process, compliance and sanctions, among other issues, emphasising that vessels may not enter a port without a permit issued by the minister. “The master or a representative of the owner of a vessel must, 10 days before entering a port, apply to the minister for a permit to enter the port. … The master of a vessel must…

China and South Africa are committed to the resolution of international conflicts On New Year’s Day 2024, South Africa lost one of its most internationally celebrated photojournalists, Peter Magubane, who captured through his lens, the atrocities and everyday horrors of life under apartheid in South Africa. Magubane was 91 years of age and he was given an official provincial funeral in Johannesburg, the home of his most iconic pictures. Many people paid tribute to this great journalist and freedom fighter, from the president of South Africa and family members to his colleagues in the world of media. Magubane recorded the history of the South African Struggle, the Treason Trial in the 1950s, the Sharpeville Massacre in 1961 and the Soweto Massacre in 1976, among other events. The liberation movement sent…

Donald Trump is set to face off with US President Joe Biden for the White House once again after winning the New Hampshire primary, promising 10 months of extraordinary tension and bitterness. The only remaining challenger for the Republican presidential nomination, Nikki Haley, vowed to fight on – but her defeat this week left her with no realistic chance of chasing down the 77-year-old former president. Trump previewed the divisive rhetoric to come in the campaign for November’s cliffhanger election with an angry victory speech that attacked Haley for having a “very bad night” and even lashed out at her dress. Even Biden, 81, accepted it was “now clear” that he faced a rematch with Trump – one that polling suggests many Americans don’t want – and…

Thousands of people protested in Tanzania yesterday against proposed changes to electoral laws in the largest public demonstration since the government lifted a ban on opposition political rallies a year ago. Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, organised the rally in the main city of Dar es Salaam as lawmakers prepare to debate next month a raft of contentious electoral reforms proposed by the government. “This is just the beginning,” Chadema leader Freeman Mbowe promised the crowd, adding that protests would spread from Tanzania’s economic capital to other parts of the country until the government responded to its concerns. Tanzania is to hold its first presidential election in 2025 since the death of John Magufuli in late 2021 led to his deputy, Samia Suluhu Hassan, becoming leader of the East African…

Lagos: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced hope yesterday for greater US investment in Nigeria, but called on Africa’s largest economy to reassure investors that they can repatriate their funds. Blinken toured the commercial metropolis, Lagos, where he visited a complex of IT start-ups and inaugurated a new US space showcasing American technology. He said that the US had a growing interest in partnering with Nigeria. Foreign businesses in Nigeria require permission from the central bank to return funds to their home countries. Businesses have complained about long delays as Nigeria’s foreign reserves dwindle as a result of a drop in oil prices. | AFP…

The Hague: Dutch authorities can shoot “deviant” wolves that could pose a danger to the public with paintballs, a court ruled yesterday. After a lengthy legal battle, the court in Utrecht, central Netherlands, judged that the behaviour of some of the wolves in a national park was “a serious threat to public safety”. Other methods of scaring them off, such as shouting, are ineffective, and pepper spray was deemed dangerous for the animals. Europe is grappling with a wolf population which has bounced back from near extinction. The European Commission wants to allow them to be hunted after data showed they pose a threat to livestock. | AFP…

GIVEN the infrastructure problems South Africa was contending with, the country was likely to achieve less than 1.5% economic growth this year and this would not result in the net-job growth for the country. This was according to Ravi Naidoo, the CEO of the Youth Employment Service (YES). In an interview with Business Report, the CEO said that while many citizens would all like to see 5% gross domestic product (GDP) growth like the National Development Plan (NDP) required, South Africa would be able to make some progress if it achieved 2%-3% growth in the next couple of years. The organisation, which transforms companies, communities and youth lives by connecting youth to economic opportunities, said load shedding and now the rail and ports were undermining the local economy. Naidoo said…

AFTER working for Sanlam as a financial adviser for more than 10 years, Elizabeth Segametse Brits did not let the opportunity of entrepreneurship pass her by when it struck. Brits said while selling insurance policies, a hospital manager approached her to supply food to the patients’ kitchen in the Northern Cape, and that was when her business, Elizabeth Segametse Brits Trading, in Postmasburg, was founded. Brits told Business Report: “Initially, in 2002, I moved to Postmasburg, working as a financial adviser at Sanlam for a decade. However, I did not limit myself to just that; I embarked on a side hustle, selling food, biscuits, and curtains for extra income. “The turning point came when, while selling insurance policies, the hospital manager approached me to supply food for their pa- tients’…

Hot on the heels of their sold-out Cape Town run of The Sound of Music presented in collaboration with Pieter Toerien Productions, Cape Town Opera (CTO) opens its exciting 25th anniversary year with Giacomo Puccini’s Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi at the Artscape Opera House. The highly anticipated double bill directed by Magdalene Minnaar pays homage to the composer’s timeless genius and celebrates the centenary of his death. The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra will be conducted by Jeremy Silver and audiences can look forward to hearing glorious, well known arias such as O mio bambino caro and Senza Mamma. Suor Angelica, the more serious of the two one-act operas, stars Cape Town Opera House soloist Nobulumko Mngxekeza in the title role with an all-women cast that includes Minette du Toit-Pearce…

THE Multi-Party Charter made up of 11 political parties has outlined its plans for the economic turnaround of South Africa if it succeeds in unseating the ANC in this year’s elections. The MPC was formed in July 2023 and is made up of the DA, IFP, FF Plus, ActionSA, the ACDP, the UNP, the Independent South African National Civic Organisation (Isanco), the United Independent Movement (UIM), the Spectrum National Party, the United Christian Democratic Party (UCDP) and the Ekhethu People’s Party. The MPC said the ANC’s mismanagement of the economy had created an unproductive and uncompetitive economic environment. At a media briefing in Durban yesterday, DA leader John Steenhuisen said the MPC was in full agreement on the necessity to attract more foreign and domestic investment. “Investment in productive enterprises…

Offending stations told: cease illegal practice or face R1m fine, or jail time PETROL station operators face a R1 million fine or 12 months’ imprisonment if they don’t cease the illegal practice of selling diesel of compromised quality. This comes after the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) confirmed that 70 filling stations across the country were found to be selling diesel of compromised quality – often with paraffin as the mixing agent as there are no taxes charged on it. The department said the names or locations of the filling stations would not be made available yet as they consulted their legal teams in terms of the Protection of Personal Information Act (Popi Act). DMRE’s director of fuel pricing mechanism, Robert Maake, said since the stations…

A medically boarded pensioner says he is at his wits’ end after waiting in vain for the Government Employee Pension Fund (GEPF) to comply with a Western Cape High Court order to have his pension benefits recalculated. Christoffel Farao, 57, of Saron, is yet to receive his pension payout from the GEPF despite a March 2023 court order. Responding to questions from the Cape Times this week, the Government Pensions Administration Agency (GPAA) committed to speedily resolving the matter. Farao was placed on medical pension in 2012 after an injury in which he lost movement in his right ankle. Farao said: “This has been a very difficult and stressful situation for me and my family after I became medically boarded during 2012. I had an injury on duty during 1994…

“COLONIAL apartheid”, “unconstitutional” and a “political manifesto” are among the criticisms voiced by opposition parties against the DA’s proposed Provincial Powers Bill which seeks the devolution of certain national powers. It also seeks “to promote the assertion of the existing provincial powers in the Western Cape in all areas of provincial and local autonomy”, among others. SACP provincial secretary Benson Ngqentsu said: “After 14 years of electoral dominance and armed with an annual fiscal budget of R303.36 billion, managed respectively by legislature and (municipality), there comes a claim that national government is unwilling to provide services to the people of the Western Cape. The farce that this is about service delivery fools no one. This ruse is about capturing the GDP after they already control the Western Cape fiscal. “With…

Joseph Boakai was sworn in as Liberia’s 26th president on January 22. He secured a six-year term of office after defeating incumbent president George Weah in a keenly-contested poll in November last year, with 50.9% of the votes cast. The west African country of five million people reached a major milestone on November 17 last year, when Weah, of the Congress for Democratic Change, conceded defeat to the Unity Party candidate. Weah scored 49.1% of the vote. Liberia has enjoyed 20 years of peace and relative stability since the end of a civil war that killed more than 250 000 people and displaced Liberians across the world. During this time, the country has made progress in restoring the rule of law. In 2018, the country saw peaceful power transfer from…

Heavy fighting drew near to hospitals in Gaza’s Khan Yunis yesterday after Israel said it had intensified its assault on the city that has become the focus of its war with Hamas. The UN raised fears about the fate of thousands of internally displaced people sheltering, and now trapped, on the grounds of the hospitals in southern Gaza’s biggest city. The Israeli army says it has “encircled” Khan Yunis, the birthplace of Hamas’s Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar, accused of being the mastermind of the October 7 attacks that sparked the war. UN humanitarian agency Ocha said about 18 000 people uprooted from their homes were reported to be at Nasser Hospital alone. An AFP journalist saw Palestinians who fled Khan Yunis arriving in Rafah on the backs of pick-up trucks…

A Russian military plane crashed yesterday in the western Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine, killing 74 people on board, Russian state media reported. The Russian Defense Ministry said it was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) who were being transferred to the region for a subsequent swop. Ukrainian reports said that the plane was transporting missiles. Ukraine intelligence said that officials were working to determine whether POWs were on the plane. Russian officials said the plane was shot down by Ukrainian forces using either German or US-made missiles. Andrei Kartapolov, the chairperson of the defence committee in Russia’s lower house of parliament, said that a second plane had narrowly escaped a similar disaster. Russia’s parliament, said it would hold their US and German counterparts accountable. |…

Ankara: Tuwrkish MPs have approved a long-delayed bill on Sweden’s bid to become the 32nd member of Nato. The Turkish Parliament on Tuesday voted on the bill after a debate in the Grand National Assembly. A total of 346 MPs participated in the voting, with 287 votes in favour, 55 against, and four abstentions. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to sign the bill into law within a few days. The Turkish Parliament’s ratification was welcomed by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. Hungary remains the only Nato member that hasn’t approved Sweden’s application. | IANS…

MOSCOW: The leader of France-allied Chad hailed ties with Russia during a meeting yesterday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said the Kremlin would help to “stabilise” the African country. Chad is France’s close partner in the Sahel region and the meeting came as tensions between Moscow and Paris escalate over the conflict in Ukraine. Chad’s transitional president, General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, was in Moscow on Putin’s invitation. Chad is France’s last close partner in the Sahel region following the forced withdrawal of French troops from Mali in 2022, Burkina Faso in 2023 and Niger in December. All three countries have since moved closer to Russia. | AFP…

“My problem with Cape Town is the politics of Cape Town!” exclaims a weary Simphiwe Dana, who has just arrived from Germany where she conducted business meetings in Hanover and Berlin. Something is in the pipeline. “I am reviving my relationship with Cape Town. I don’t want ukunqaba (be scarce) any more. I have a big, loyal following eKapa. And my people have been starved of my music. It’s about time!” she says, as we get ready to discuss her coming theatre-like production, which encompasses dance, called Moya, directed by Gregory Maqoma, under the musical direction of Titi Luzipho featuring the Vuyani Dance Theatre, to be staged at the Artscape Theatre, tomorrow. It is a big production with 22 cast members, of which 10 will be Dana’s backing vocalists,…

from page 1 compromised quality and to ensure that our products meet defined standards and specifications,” said Morule. Sasol spokesperson Matebello Motloung said they “do not condone any practices that deviate from the legally and regulated stipulation for the sale of fuel products”. “No Sasol franchise-owned filling station has been issued with a warning. In the unlikely event where a sample is deemed off-specification, immediate remediation actions are performed on the site in question and a formal investigation to determine the root cause is initiated. “Sasol has remote volume monitoring which flags any potential deviation, which is immediately investigated and remediated. These practices deter any potential fraudulent actions,” she said. Fuel Retailers Association (FRA) CEO Reggie Sibiya said thorough investigations must be done. “All major oil companies receive a product…

The government has been urged to further intensify road safety efforts after 1 427 people were killed, mostly at night, on South Africa’s roads during the holidays. This was a 1.7% decrease compared with the previous year’s festive season which claimed 1 452 lives. Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga released the 2023/24 road traffic statistics yesterday which covered the period December to January. The majority of those who died were pedestrians, followed by passengers, drivers and cyclists who were between the ages of 25 and 44. Chikunga said a total of 1 184 crashes were recorded, down from the 1 212 incidents recorded in the previous festive season. “This decline was made possible by the intensified law-enforcement operations conducted and the high police visibility throughout the country. “It is worth noting…

The Transnet Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT) has recorded a 14% decline in deciduous fruit volumes compared to last season, noting that this has created industry concern as inclement weather with windspeeds in excess of 80km/h persist. This as industry role-players say operational and logistic issues at the port continued to cost the economy millions of rand in lost revenue. Transnet this week said that the CTCT had recruited 62 new employees and increased the number of haulers available to operations from 32 to 44 with the peaking of the deciduous season this month. Transnet’s acting Western Cape managing executive, Oscar Borchards, said: “Weather is not our only problem, but it really sets us back as we have to close the terminal for extended periods. “As such, out of the…

Topping 4 slices wholemeal bread, crusts removed 4 slices white bread, crusts removed 60g light muscovado or light brown sugar ½ tsp ground cinnamon Pinch salt 50g unsalted butter, melted Filling 10 South African plums, halved, pitted and roughly chopped 3 tbsp granulated sugar 1 tsp cornflour Pinch salt 1 tsp lemon juice ½ tsp vanilla extract Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan oven 180°C Make the topping: In a food processor, add the bread and pulse until fine crumbs form. Transfer the breadcrumbs to a medium bowl and stir in the muscovado or light brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the melted butter, stir well to combine, then set aside. Make the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the plums, sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Spoon…

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has tabled before Parliament her department’s policy on the prevention and management of learner pregnancy in schools. This came to light after National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula referred the policy document to the basic education portfolio committee for consideration. Motshekga said that the policy document was developed by her department with financial and technical support from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco). “It was developed through an extensive consultative process with the national and provincial Education, Social Development and Health Departments, as well as with a range of stakeholders and partners,” Motshekga said. She said the policy sought to reduce and manage the incidence of learner pregnancy and its adverse impacts on the affected learners and, more broadly, on the basic education system.…

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) said it was working to address some of the operational challenges that led to the suspension of some Shosholoza Meyl services. Earlier this month, Prasa suspended the train trips between Johannesburg and Cape Town. Prasa’s Andiswa Makanda said that the Johannesburg to Cape Town service had been temporarily suspended or stopped due to operational challenges and lack of reliable locomotives. “This (suspension of the service) will allow the team to deal with some of the operational challenges,” Makanda said. Passengers were informed, she said. Shosholoza Meyl resumed its trips between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban last month. The services restarted following a suspension in 2021 due to operational and network infrastructure issues. At the time, Prasa said the resumption of the long-distance…

IF THE ANC leadership, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, responded to the crisis confronting the province with the same energy as it put into Jacob Zuma’s move to the uMkhonto weSizwe party, the province would be among the top performing in the country insofar as service delivery is concerned. The public statements by various leaders since Zuma declared his support for the MK party suggest that his refusal to campaign for the ANC before this year’s crucial election not only hurt the ANC’s plans but exposed the leadership, who had hoped to rely on the “Msholozi charm” to woo voters. In its attempts to discredit Zuma, who effectively showed the entire ANC the middle finger, the ANC has lost sight of the many challenges KZN is grappling with. Among these are the…

Argentinian President Javier Milei faced the first major challenge to his budget-slashing policies yesterday as workers downed tools in their thousands and took to the streets in protest. The country’s biggest union, the CGT, with some 7 million members, has vowed a massive mobilisation against Milei’s campaign of deregulation and economic reform, which many fear will leave them vulnerable to exploitation, and poorer. They were joined by other, smaller unions and civic groups, vowing to “not yield an inch of what has been achieved” in terms of labour and consumer protections, according to CGT leader Pablo Moyano. Never before has a mass strike been called so soon into the term of a new Argentinian government: just 45 days. The government is not taking the challenge lying down. It has set…

Berlin: German train drivers yesterday began their longest strike, piling on travel misery for thousands of passengers in an escalating industrial dispute over wages that economic experts warn could cost the economy up to $1.1 billion (R20bn). Transport Minister Volker Wissing has slammed as “destructive” the six-day industrial action that heaps further pressure on supply chains that are already facing disruption because of attacks by Yemen’s Huthi rebels on shipping via the Red Sea. The walkout called by the GDL union runs until Monday for passenger traffic while the strike for freight trains began earlier on Tuesday. | AFP…

Yangon: More than 110 Rohingya from war-torn western Myanmar were arrested as they tried to flee the country to Malaysia, a security source said yesterday. The mainly Muslim Rohingya are seen in Myanmar as interlopers from Bangladesh. They are denied citizenship and require permission to travel. Fifty-nine men and 58 women were arrested from two trucks. The group was headed for Malaysia via Thailand. According to reports, the group travelled first by boat from Sittwe and Maungdaw in Rakhine state and were picked up by traffickers for the onward journey to Thailand before being abandoned. | AFP…

It wasn’t a solid group stage campaign, but Bafana Bafana did just enough to progress to the knockout stage of the Africa Cup of Nations. Bafana held Tunisia to a goalless draw in their last game in Group E at Stade Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium last night to finish second in the group on four points. Bafana’s first and only victory in the group was the 4-0 win over neighbours Namibia, who finished third in the group after their 0-0 draw with log leaders Mali in their last game last night in San-Pedro. By virtue of their second-place finish, Bafana will now face the winners of Group F in the knockout stage at Laurent Pokou Stadium in San-Pedro next Tuesday. Bafana and Tunisia came into this match on the back…