Table of contents for 2024-02-01 in Cape Times

PARLIAMENT has been asked to lift the suspension of an Umlazi regional magistrate, suspended for allegedly being “lenient” to a rapist, in order for her to reconstruct the court record relating to the case she presided over. The request for lifting Kholeka Bodlani’s provisional suspension is on condition that she only deals with reconstruction of the record of the case that is on appeal. This emerged when Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola wrote to National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on lifting the provisional suspension of Bodlani from office. The National Assembly had passed a resolution on her provisional suspension in March after the National Council of Provinces passed a similar resolution in September 2020. The suspension followed a quality assessment of her work which revealed serious irregularities and…

BAFANA Bafana coach Hugo Broos has lauded his side’s resurgence at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Ivory Coast as fans challenge the team to repeat the success of 1996. Bafana reached the quarter-finals of the biennial showpiece in style on Tuesday night after beating the No 1-ranked nation in Africa, Morocco, 2-0 in San Pedro. Striker Evidence Makgopa opened the scoring for South Africa in the 57th minute, and after Achraf Hakimi missed a late penalty for Morocco, midfielder Teboho Mokoena produced a stunning goal from a free kick in stoppage time to secure a spot in the last eight. It was an impressive display that saw Bafana’s detractors – who either tipped the team to crash out in the group stage or bemoaned their second-place finish in…

MORE than 100 villages in the Ngqushwa area in the Eastern Cape rely on two ambulances. This has forced the hundreds of villagers serviced by the Nompumelelo hospital to resort to hiring private vehicles to transport their loved ones needing urgent help. “It is shocking to hear that there are few ambulances serving 118 Ngqushwa municipality villages. “People from these villages are hiring private vehicles to transport their loved ones to Nompumelelo hospital. People have to phone a call centre in East London when they are in need of an ambulance. “This is disappointing,” said Zolisa Dlokovu who expressed his frustration on social media. Thandokazi Jika from Gcinisa village said she had a distressing experience when she needed transportation to Nompumelelo hospital, which is about 35km away from her…

A Khayelitsha school, Joe Slovo Secondary School, has risen from the dust of being among the Western Cape’s worst performers to increasing its pass rate dramatically. In the 2020 National Senior Certificate exam, the school achieved a 37% pass rate, which increased to 47% in 2021. The class of 2022 obtained 67%, but the 2023 matrics reached 87%. The Western Cape Education Department celebrated the school on Tuesday, and many others that showed improvement and excellence, during their annual awards ceremony at Premier Alan Winde’s official residence, Leeuwenhof. The Western Cape achieved an overall pass rate of 81.54% in 2023. School principal Sityhilelo Ntamo beamed with pride as colleagues congratulated him. “The school has really been doing well over the years. Almost all of the subjects the candidates passed well…

Three weeks ago as Bafana Bafana jetted off to the Africa Cup of Nations, we urged the nation to get behind the boys and let them do their thing on the pitch. At the time, we reminded South Africans that despite seeing little success in recent years, the national football side was as deserving of support as its Springbok rugby counterpart, or the Proteas and Banyana Banyana. One thing that has been proven time and again is that sports unite South Africans of all ages, races and economic standing. On Tuesday under the night sky in Ivory Coast, Bafana Bafana pulled off one of their most heroic performances to date, defeating African top-ranked side Morocco, the miracle team of the recent Fifa World Cup in Qatar, where they reached the…

An Indian court weighed in on one of the country’s most sensitive religious disputes yesterday by permitting Hindu worshippers to pray inside a mosque in the city of Varanasi. The Gyanvapi mosque is one of several Islamic houses of worship that Hindu activists, backed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party, have sought for decades to reclaim for their religion. It was built in the 17th century by the Mughal empire in a city where Hindu faithful from across the country cremate their loved ones by the Ganges River. The court in Varanasi ruled that Hindu worshippers – who believe the mosque replaced a destroyed temple to the deity Shiva – could pray in the building’s basement. Its verdict ordered district authorities to “make proper arrangements within the next seven days”…

The EU said yesterday it plans to extend tariff-free entry for Ukrainian farm products for a year from June, but with “safeguards” to stop cheaper imports flooding the market at the expense of Europe’s own farmers. Grain imports from war-torn Ukraine have already caused a standoff with Poland and become a major source of anger for farmers around the EU. The move from the European Commission comes as farmers in several EU countries stage roadblocks to demand better revenues and conditions. Its proposal allows for “quick remedial action ... in case of significant disruptions to the EU market”. Brussels also proposed another one-year exemption – though a partial one – from rules forcing farmers to leave a share of their lands fallow, imposed as part of the bloc’s common agricultural…

London: The number of rough sleepers on London’s streets has increased by almost a quarter this winter, the latest figures showed yesterday, as Britain battles a cost-of-living crisis. Homelessness charities recorded 4 389 people sleeping rough in the last three months of 2023, up from 3 570 during the same period a year before – an increase of 23%. More than 1 200 people used emergency accommodation during a two-week cold snap last month, when Mayor Sadiq Khan activated the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol, about 30% more than during the same period last year. |…

INDEPENDENT Media has rejoined the Press Council of South Africa (PCSA) with effect from January 1, 2024, Press Council executive director Latiefa Mobara has announced. “We are delighted to have Independent and all of their titles and media platforms back, after an absence of some seven years,” Mobara said. “They rejoin at a critical time with an election looming and are an important addition to our 400-plus members. “We want all media who undertake to support and abide by the Press Code to be PCSA members. “The Press Code sets and enforces the ‘rules of the game’ for factual, accountable, independent and responsible journalism. “Independent’s return is good for us, for them and for the promotion of FAIR journalism. “Their publications will now also carry the Press Council’s FAIR logo,…

An international team of leading weather scientists and practitioners from the UK, South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique have begun a two-week “testbed” aimed at improving early warnings for severe thunderstorms in Southern Africa. Southern Africa remains a region prone to extreme weather, with hundreds of thousands of people and livelihoods put at risk every year. The region is also expected to experience an increase in storms as climate change continues to take hold. The testbed is part of the Weather and Climate Information Services Early Warnings for Southern Africa (WISER- EWSA) project led by the Met Office in the UK, commissioned by the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and supported by UK aid from the British citizens. During the testbed, the first event of its kind in the…

POLICE have made a breakthrough in the murder of a 12-year-old Mitchells Plain girl who was killed after being hit by a stray bullet. “Sterling, around the clock investigative work by the investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Bradley Schuurman attached to the Anti-Gang Unit, led to the arrest of a 27-year-old man yesterday in Eastridge, Mitchells Plain, on a charge of murder,” said police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi. The incident on Tuesday occurred when rival gangs allegedly exchanged gunfire while the child was at school, situated in Kyalami Street, Beacon Valley, Mitchells Plain. The pupil was declared deceased on the scene by medical personnel. The suspect is due to appear in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court tomorrow. The war against crime is clearly a war that those in charge are losing, said…

Room for celebrating the importance of SA-PRC relations on their 26-year anniversary The 2024 Chinese New Year celebrations in South Africa is a moment of legitimate festivity and merited reflection. It is deserving of commemoration as the world rebuilds itself stronger after the Covid-19 health and economic pandemic. In olden times, the Chinese New Year was celebrated to honour deities and ancestors and revive family ties. In recent times, the designation of “family” has now extended to include the rejuvenation of ties with member countries of the Global South majority, such as South Africa. This year, the celebrations are observed, according to the Chinese lunar calendar, under the symbol of the Year of the Dragon. In the Chinese zodiac system, the dragon stands apart from all the 12 animals since…

The United Nations gency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said yesterday that it was “extremely important” to conduct an independent investigation into Israeli allegations that 12 of its employees were involved in the October 7 Hamas attack against Israel. Important donors – among them Britain, Germany, Japan and the US – have announced their suspension of aid to UNRWA following Israel’s allegations. “We have 33 000 people... so it is extremely important for us to really have an independent investigation into these specific individual cases that Israel brought to our attention,” UNRWA spokesperson Tamara Alrifai said. “We received allegations from the Israeli government over 12 names in Gaza, we had to check those names against our records of 13 000 staff in Gaza, and we were able to match eight of…

On January 28, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali announced their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) in a joint communiqué. The three military governments cited the regional organisation’s failure to “provide assistance to our States in the framework of our existential fight against terrorism and insecurity”. Ecowas has become “a threat” to Sahel countries, Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop told local channel ORTM1, following the withdrawal of his country, Niger and Burkina Faso from the regional bloc. According to the head of Malian diplomacy, Ecowas “has been used against the institutions of our countries, against our states, against our peoples”. Diop said that Ecowas had adopted “coercive measures” that had an impact on the population, even going so far as to “threaten military intervention”. “In the…

HARARE: The Zimbabwean government has gazetted registration fees for foreigners seeking Zimbab- wean citizenship on the basis of permanent residence, setting them at $5 000 (about R93 800). The fees, which will be paid strictly in US dollars for adults and children, were gazetted on Tuesday by Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Kazembe Kazembe. Those seeking to restore Zimbabwean citizenship after renouncing it earlier will pay $1 000, according to the supplement of the Zimbabwean Government Gazette Extraordinary. Descendants of the Southern African Development Community will also pay $50 for the restoration of citizenship. |…

ELLIES Holdings has decided to enter voluntary business rescue proceedings after efforts to turn the firm around have failed. The share price yesterday ended the day 60% lower at R0.02. The group has been trying to diversify from a purely satellite business towards a smart home infrastructure business, including solutions for alternative energy, water storage, connectivity, and the connected home. In February 2023 the firm said a key part of its future strategy rested on a proposed acquisition of Magetz Electrical Proprietary and Power on Wheels Proprietary, collectively Bundu Power. Ellies announced the plan to acquire Bundu Power on February 1, 2023, for R207.6 million, and it planned a R120m rights issue at the time. But in December it announced it would not require a rights issue and the…

INTERNATIONAL Relations and Co-operation Minister Naledi Pandor said yesterday the decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) marked a decisive victory for international law and a significant milestone in the search for justice for the people of Palestine. Briefing the media in Pretoria, Pandor said the court’s decision affirmed the importance of global governance institutions, including organs of the UN. “It remains vital for all member states to respect and implement the decisions of the court,” she said. Pandor noted that the ICJ had on January 26 delivered its order on South Africa’s request for provisional measures. “While not all provisional measures that were requested by South Africa were granted, crucial measures that will contribute to the protection of Palestinians were granted.” The court ordered Israel to take all…

The DA has suspended City PR councillor Abdulkader Elyas, who came under fire last year for allegedly lying about his medical qualifications. Elyas was thrust into the spotlight after questions were raised about the veracity of his qualifications. He had on his social media accounts purported to hold a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree obtained between 2013 and 2018. When the scandal first broke, he said it was common cause that he was a medical student, not a medical doctor. By November last year, the party said they conducted an internal investigation. Approached for comment on the current status of the matter, DA spokesperson Richard Newton said: “I can confirm that Abdulkader Elyas has been suspended and the Federal Legal Commission (FLC) investigation is under way.” City chief whip…

FIREFIGHTING teams in the province have been stretched to their limits, battling a number of blazes in recent days as warm weather and strong winds fanned the flames. Fires have been reported in multiple areas including informal settlements in Cape Town, Overstrand and Cape Winelands towns. In Betty’s Bay, the Hangklip fire has prompted precautionary evacuation orders for households from the corner of Porter Drive and Delport Road towards Silversands. A full evacuation order was issued on Tuesday for Pringle Bay, with Kleinmond Town Hall designated as the emergency evacuation centre The Cape Winelands District Municipality said their fire services and partners spent yesterday working in very hot and unpleasant conditions. “The fires at Elandsberg and Bainskloof/Slanghoek that started on January 22 have been contained and no flare-ups have been…

THE DA in Western Cape has urged all law enforcement agencies to be present at the Western Cape Provincial Powers Bill hearings, accusing opposition political parties of intimidation and violent behaviour. According to the DA, the ANC allegedly persisted with tactics of disruptions into the second day of the hearings. The Western Cape Legislature’s hearings on the bill started in Worcester on Monday and followed the next day in Moorreesburg. The bill seeks to expand federal autonomy for capable provincial and local governments and to empower them to manage devolved functions such as policing, public transport, energy, and harbours from the national government. The hearings are expected to conclude tomorrow. “Despite the fact that public participation is a vital part of our democracy, the ANC has consistently threatened measures up…

Two weeks into January 2024, Nigerian authorities took steps to curb environmental degradation caused by plastic pollution in the country. The Federal Ministry of Environment and the Lagos State government announced bans on single-use plastics. The Federal Ministry of Environment was the first to issue a directive. It banned single-use plastics in its own departments and agencies. The Lagos State government followed a few days later, with a ban on styrofoam containers (popularly used for food packaging), and gave businesses three weeks to mop up styrofoam in circulation. The Abia State government in the south-east followed with its own ban on single-use plastics, on January 27. Nigeria generates excessive amounts of plastic waste, nearly 90% of which is mismanaged. As an environmental toxicologist, I argue that there is enough research…

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia installed an outspoken motorcycle-riding king yesterday in an elaborate ceremony steeped in centuries of tradition, with the billionaire determined to play a key role in ensuring political stability. Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar’s new position is largely ceremonial but has in recent years featured heavily in the country’s fractured political landscape. In addition to overseeing major political appointments, the king serves as the official head of Islam in the Muslim-majority country and commander-in-chief of its armed forces. Bloomberg estimates Sultan Ibrahim, 65, and his family, rulers of southern Johor state, are worth at least $5.7 billion (about R106bn). The sultan was chosen last year by the country’s royalty to be the next head of state. Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, with a unique arrangement that sees the throne…

Former international cricket star Imran Khan had vowed to lead the country a second time after being ousted as prime minister in 2022, but two lengthy prison sentences in a week have put paid to his chances – for now at least. Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced yesterday to 14 years in prison after being convicted of graft in connection with gifts he received while premier from 2018 to 2022. A day earlier, he was found guilty of leaking state secrets and jailed for 10 years. With national elections one week away and his party severely hamstrung by the military establishment, it would be easy to write off the charismatic 71-year-old’s political career. However, Khan won cricket matches from seemingly impossible positions as national captain, and Pakistan…

Paris: Doctors Without Borders announced yesterday that it had begun a mass vaccination campaign against hepatitis E in South Sudan, where an outbreak of the deadly disease is threatening pregnant women in particular. At least 19 people have died from the disease, which is usually spread through contaminated drinking water, in the country’s flood-hit northern Fangak County since April, the aid group said in a statement. But the death toll could be higher as years of flooding have turned the region’s villages into islands, forcing residents to use canoes to travel and cutting them off from the nearest hospital, it added. |…

Bafana Bafana stunned Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations, and the ripple effect of Tuesday’s victory has not only travelled from west Africa to the southern parts of the continent, but 16 000km south-east to New Zealand. Proteas Test coach Shukri Conrad and his team are on a mission to protect a record that South Africa proudly hold over the Black Caps. The goals from Evidence Makgopa and Teboho Mokoena have not only inspired South Africans here at home, but have fuelled the underdogs that are set to play a two-match series against the former world Test champions in their own backyard. It is not only Bafana, but also the Proteas Women’s first victory over Australia this week that have added a bit of motivation to Conrad’s team. And…

The Pretoria Capitals and MI Cape Town will aim to keep their SA20 play-off hopes alive in a bottom-of-the-table clash at SuperSport Park in Centurion (5.30pm start). The two teams are left with back-to-back encounters against each other, with one scheduled for tonight and the other for Saturday afternoon at Newlands – meaning at least one of the teams will not be part of next week’s play-offs. However, MI Cape Town coach Robin Peterson is confident they can make full use of their last two round robin fixtures. “We can still qualify, and we’re still positive,” said Peterson. “There’s two games that we have to win in two venues where I think most of the bonus points have come from: Centurion and Newlands. The boys are still in good spirits…