Table of contents for 2024-05-14 in Cape Times

RAUBEX Group lifted its order book of infrastructure development and construction materials supplies by 27.5% to R25.55 billion in the year to February 29, which, with a strong balance sheet boded well for it to continue paying dividends, CEO Felicia Msiza said yesterday. She said the annual results for the 50-year-old group to February 29 were good given the many challenges faced by the country, as well as the industries in which the group operates. Major contributors to the performance were Bauba Resources and the Western Australia operations. “Although we are cautiously optimistic as this is an election year, the growth in the secured order book to R25.55bn is indicative of future pro- spects. Our growth strategy is underpinned by our diversified business model, committed workforce, strength in leadership,…

THE Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has confirmed that Zimbabwean ruling party Zanu-PF has not been accredited to be an observer in the upcoming national and provincial elections on May 29. This is according to IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya in response to an objection by the African Transformation Movement (ATM) over reports that Zanu-PF had been granted observer status. “The commission would like to reassure you and the ATM community that it has not accredited Zanu-PF or any other political party to observe the elections in South Africa. “The commission strongly believes in the integrity of the elections it manages and therefore safeguards against measures that would compromise its processes,” Moepya wrote in a letter dated May 10. He was responding to concerns by ATM leader Vuyo Zungula, addressed in a…

In the oldest sex abuse case to go to trial in the country, two sisters who were sexually abused, allegedly by relatives, from 1974 to 1979 have secured another victory in their quest for justice. This time, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has dismissed an application by the accused to amend the charge sheet. They had alleged that the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 32 of 2007 was not applicable to the offences for which they were charged under the common law, as the act was not in existence when the offences were allegedly committed. Lisa van der Merwe and her sister Claudine Shiels had taken their relatives to court retrospectively in 2018 for sexual acts which had allegedly taken place between 1974…

I’VE SAID this before but it definitely bears repeating. Carte Blanche on a Sunday night, especially as we are a few weeks away from a general election; should be compulsory viewing if people want to know what the ANC has done to their country. We’ve seen the demise of Knysna, Makhanda, King William’s Town, East London, Pietermaritzburg, Kimberley to mention just a few towns. Unbelievable how they have gone downhill with sewage running into the lagoon in Knysna, to a new mental hospital costing millions of rand in Kimberley lying in ruins. Dirty filthy streets with no rubbish collection, potholed roads, no lights etc, makes one want to weep! Recently, we were in the Eastern Cape in towns north of Gqeberha. Stadiums were built for children to get them off…

WE DON’T yet have a full explanation of what happened in the tragic building collapse in George. Bodies are still being recovered. Families are still grieving. Yet, Gayton McKenzie of the Patriotic Alliance insists on making it about himself. I do not even wish to entertain his claims as they are just gross. But I’ll say to fellow Western Cape residents and the residents of George: people are behind you, and people are praying for you. Some people don’t only think of themselves.…

ONE of the crucial issues confronting the next South African government come May 29 is the current bidding war led by BHP Group Limited for the potential acquisition of mining giant Anglo-American, whose future dispensation is inextricably linked to the economic prosperity of the country especially in the context of Africa’s prime position in critical mineral reserves and a rising US dollar strutting its strength as the pre-eminent global currency in which global commodities are traded. Any wannabe pretenders such as the Chinese renminbi (RMB) or even an overhyped fictional BRICS currency are mere bystanders. The RMB’s share as a global payment’s currency, according to the April 2024 data from Swift, the international financial messaging service provider, at 4.69% pales into insignificance to the 47.37% of the US dollar and…

India’s six-week election resumed yesterday, including in Kashmir, where voters were expected to show their discontent with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cancellation of their disputed territory’s semi-autonomy and the security crackdown that followed. Modi remains popular across much of India and his Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is widely expected to win the poll when it concludes early next month. But his government’s decision in 2019 to bring Kashmir under its direct rule – and the subsequent clampdown – have been deeply resented among the region’s residents, who will be voting for the first time since the move. “What we’re telling voters now is that you have to make your voice heard,” said former chief minister Omar Abdullah, whose National Conference party is campaigning for the restoration of Kashmir’s former…

Authorities in China were expected yesterday to release a citizen journalist jailed for four years after she documented the early phases of the Covid-19 outbreak from the central city of Wuhan in 2020. Zhang Zhan, 40, had travelled to Wuhan in early 2020 from Shanghai where she was based, posting first-hand accounts from crowded hospitals and empty streets that painted a more dire picture of the pandemic than the official narrative. After several months of reporting that included videos, she was detained in May 2020. She went on hunger strike in late June, prompting police to force-feed her with a tube, her lawyers said at the time. Zhang Zhan’s health seriously declined in jail and she was admitted to a prison hospital in mid-2023. The US State Department condemned Zhang’s…

KYIV: Ukraine plans record electricity imports from five European countries after reporting significant energy infrastructure damage from Russian strikes, the energy ministry said. Imports are expected to rise to 19 484 megawatt hours (Mwh), beating the record of 18 649 Mwh at the end of March after the first wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector. With Ukraine facing a significant deficit in the system, it plans to import power from Romania, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Moldova. The grid operator said emergency assistance from the EU had already been provided. Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector have caused more than $1 billion (R18.3bn) of damage. | Reuters…

London: Britain’s King Charles III officially handed over the role of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps to Prince William yesterday, in a rare joint engagement with his elder son and heir. The head of state joined William at the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop, southern England, appointing him colonel-in-chief of his younger son Prince Harry’s old regiment. Harry, 39, a former army captain who served as an Apache helicopter pilot with the Army Air Corps in Afghanistan, has become estranged from his father and brother since leaving the royal family in early 2020 and moving to the US with his wife, Meghan. William worked as a Royal Air Force search and rescue pilot and also flew for a civilian air ambulance unit before taking up full-time royal duties.…

New Zealand captain Sam Cane will retire from Test rugby at the end of 2024, the side said yesterday, calling time on a World Cup-winning 12-year international career. “Having played 95 Tests – 27 as captain – the 32-year-old has decided to focus on spending more time with family and sign a long-term contract with Suntory Goliath in Tokyo,” New Zealand Rugby said in a statement. His retirement is not a complete surprise. The All Blacks haven’t played since they were defeated in the Rugby World Cup final by South Africa last year and Cane was already on a sabbatical in Japan. Cane said the prospect of a three-year deal with the high-spending Tokyo club was too good to pass up. “In the end, with a young family, it seemed…

THE EUROPEAN Union yesterday added Dutch online travel giant Booking.com to its list of digital companies that are big enough to fall under tougher competition rules. Brussels also said it would investigate whether social media platform X, owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk, can be exempted from the rules. The former Twitter has filed a rebuttal arguing that “despite meeting the thresholds, X does not qualify as a important gateway between businesses and consumers,” said the European Commission, whose probe should wrap up within five months. Booking.com, whose parent company Booking Holdings is headquartered in the US, now has six months to prepare for compliance with the landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA). The EU has already named six market “gatekeepers” that have to comply with the DMA: Google parent Alphabet,…

In today’s society, the pursuit of youth seems to outweigh the acceptance of ageing, with many in the Western world viewing the process as undesirable and, for some, frightening. This dread of getting older, experts suggest, might be less about ageing itself and more about the fear of the unknown that comes with it. The constant bombardment of anti-ageing advertisements only serves to deepen the anxiety, suggesting that to age is to become less attractive. Yet, not all hope is lost in the quest for ageing gracefully. Nutritionists argue that while supplements aren’t a magic solution, they play a crucial role in complementing a healthy diet. As we age, our bodies might not absorb nutrients as well, making supplements a useful addition to meet our nutritional needs. Kara Burnstine, a…

from page 1 Ackerman maintained that as his business relationship with Wellman has soured, the latter was trying to taint his (Ackerman’s) name. A third business associate, a Mr Lieberman, was initially part of the complaint before the Equality Court, as he claimed that Ackerman in a conversation with Wellman referred to “f****** Jews”. Lieberman, however, later withdrew his complaint. The first incident of which Wellman complained was that Ackerman, during a conversation with him, referred to the “k-word f****** up this country”. In finding that Ackerman did make the utterances in conversations with Wellman, Judge Wright said Ackerman relied on what he assumed would be the like-mindedness of Wellman. “This is precisely one of the assumptions that the Constitution and the Equality Act seek to displace,” the judge said.…

OUSTED uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Party founder Jabulani Khumalo has demanded that the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) reinstate him as party leader or face legal action. His lawyer has sent a letter of demand to the IEC, saying Khumalo did not resign as party leader. He gave the electoral body until today to reinstate him. In an interview with the Cape Times’ sister publication, The Mercury, the commission said it was aware of the letter of demand, adding that there was little it could do about it. Khumalo is challenging the authenticity of the letter sent to the IEC on April 9, claiming that he had relinquished the leadership of the party to former president Jacob Zuma. In that letter, which bears Khumalo’s name and what…

Visual identification must now switch over to scientific methods such as prints and DNA Efforts to identify the bodies found among the rubble and concrete of the collapsed George building are being complicated by their decomposing state a week after tragedy struck. When the incident occurred on May 6, a total of 81 people were estimated to be on site, with 59 individuals rescued and recovered, including 30 deceased; 13 are currently in hospital, while 22 remain unaccounted for. The Garden Route District Joint Operation Centre (JOC) and George Municipality said: “The primary focus continues to be on rescue efforts. With this in mind, we are also proactively setting up plans to expedite the identification of the deceased. This is done by Forensic Pathology Service (FPS) and SAPS. We, therefore,…

At least 23 people are confirmed to have died in George as a result of the building collapse. Some are in a critical condition and might not make it. Dozens of families are still waiting for news of their loved ones stuck under the rubble. And amidst all of this tragedy, Gayton McKenzie is campaigning for votes, spewing his racist and xenophobic rhetoric to all and sundry. This is not just in bad taste, it is downright disrespectful to the victims, their families and the community at large. Gayton, instead of fuelling the flames of hate and incessantly attacking the DA Western Cape Government (who, by the way, are doing a phenomenal job in the rescue efforts) to scratch together a few extra votes, maybe you should go back…

The mother of a boy who suffered severe head injuries when he fell on a screw protruding from a steel staircase at school is claiming more than R1.6 million in damages from the private Spark School in Centurion, for the pain and suffering her child endured as a result of the accident. The matter was due to go on trial this week in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria. But the mother’s lawyer, John Njau, said the matter has been settled. In terms of a settlement agreement, Spark School accepted 100% liability for the injuries Tshiamo Mokone suffered. Njau said the amount could be higher, as they now have to appoint medical experts to exactly assess the damages suffered by the boy, now aged 12. The matter is set to return…

ADDITIONAL police have been deployed in Mitchells Plain after nine people were shot – and three died – in what is believed to be related to ongoing gang violence in the area. At around 7.30pm on Sunday, two unknown assailants opened fire at a group of men aged between 29 and 46 at a tavern in Stratus Street, Rocklands. Three of the men were killed at the scene. Western Cape police spokesperson Andrè Traut said detectives attached to the provincial serious and violent crimes unit were probing the circumstances leading to the incident. Police believe the incident was gang related, he said. “The injured victims were admitted to hospital for medical treatment while the suspects fled, which initiated a large-scale manhunt in the vicinity and adjacent neighbourhoods. “In the meantime,…

Motorists using the country’s highways do so with a mix of hope and caution, as a shadow looms over the trust that should be inherent in the presence of law enforcement. The scourge of criminals impersonating police officers commonly known as “blue light gangs” has not only robbed innocent citizens of their belongings, but has also dealt a severe blow to the reputation and standing of our police service. Across the nation, especially in bustling urban centres, motorists have fallen prey to the brazen tactics of these imposters. They strike with impunity, often masquerading as members of the SAPS or municipal police, exploiting the trust and respect that should accompany the uniform. Armed with deception, they erect fake roadblocks or coerce drivers to stop under the guise of official…

France won a record 15 billion euros (about R296bn) in foreign investment pledges yesterday, allowing President Emmanuel Macron to bask in the limelight with global CEOs and forget about strained public finances and weak polls for a while. The bumper crop of pledges, in sectors ranging from artificial intelligence to pharmaceuticals and energy, stood Macron in good stead as he hosted business leaders for the annual “Choose France” summit at Versailles Palace. This year’s figure is up from the 13 billion euros announced in 2023. The French presidency said the investments included 56 different business projects and could lead to the creation of 10 000 jobs. Microsoft said it would invest 4 billion euros in France in its cloud and AI infrastructure, expanding its centres in Paris and Marseilles…

Yerevan: Armenian police said yesterday that they had detained dozens of people attempting to block streets in the capital Yerevan as part of protests against government plans to concede land to Azerbaijan. Armenia has agreed to hand over territory it has controlled since the 1990s and has started border delimitation efforts, in a bid to secure an elusive peace deal with Baku and avoid another conflict. The territorial concessions have sparked weeks of protests by demonstrators, who have blocked major roads in an attempt to force Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to change course. The interior ministry said 151 people had been detained so far yesterday, but protesters had failed to close off any streets. | AFP…

GENEVA: The US and China will hold their first talks on artificial intelligence (AI) today, with Washington set to raise concerns about Beijing’s use of the fast-emerging technology, US officials said. The inaugural dialogue will take place in Geneva, with senior officials. Both China and the US are rapidly developing their AI sectors. US experts have voiced alarm over the growing ability by Chinese AI engineers to produce “deep fakes” – impersonations of real or dead people. The US, EU and Britain have been working to set regulations on AI in ways they say will protect individual privacy and security. China has sought its own path on AI. | AFP…

LONDON: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yesterday insisted that his Conservative party could win a general election despite polls indicating the opposite, but refused to set a date for the vote. Sunak warned that Britain would be less safe under Keir Starmer’s Labour opposition, which is widely tipped to come back to power. Sunak cited Russia’s war in Europe, Iran’s firing of missiles in the Middle East and the uncertainty posed by artificial intelligence as threats that needed to be tackled. | AFP…

In a massive boost for the women’s game in South Africa, the Springboks have qualified for next year’s World Cup in England. This was secured by a 46-17 defeat of Madagascar in Antananarivo, a feat that should not be discounted because women’s rugby is popular in that country and the huge crowd at the Stade Makis is something the South African ladies can only dream of having in their country. Importantly, it is not just the qualification that is satisfying but the quality of rugby the Boks played. They have come a long way under coach Louis Koen – the former Springbok flyhalf – and the structure and balance in their game suggest they will make a decent fist of the World Cup after disappointing in the last tournament, held…

A TOTAL of 22 departments at national and provincial levels, including the Presidency, snubbed an inquiry conducted by the Public Service Commission (PSC) into the qualifications of senior managers in the public service. This emerged in a PSC report after it conducted an inquiry that was sparked by parliamentary questions into alleged unqualified senior managers. The departments of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Communications and Digital Technologies, Co-operative Governance, Correctional Services, Government Printing Works, Health, Home Affairs, Independent Police Investigative Directorate, Military Veterans, Mineral Resources and Energy as well as the Presidency did not provide the required information. The report said the public service had 5 417 senior management service (SMS) members at national department level in September 2023 and 2 047 participated in the inquiry in…

A RECENT social media post titled “The Other Side of Cape Town”, by “Mazansi Design”, went viral. It showed a realistic-looking image of a pothole-filled road leading towards Table Mountain. The post implies that the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape government are hypocritical when they boast about the high quality of roads in the province, while criticising the state of roads in ANC-run provinces. This has opened the door for criticism of the best-run local- and provincial government in the country. At first glance, one could easily mistake the image for reality, especially since the “Mazansi Design” page frequently posts photos of prominent South African and African landmarks. The comments on the post reveal that many people criticised the DA government for its perceived double standards. However,…

WITH South African elections quickly approaching, I would like to remind my fellow citizens of the importance of voting. Voting is central to the sustainability of South Africa’s fledgling democracy and one of the most basic rights that the Struggle stalwarts of this country fought for. In the past, millions of “non-white” South Africans were denied the right to vote, were segregated and displaced, persecuted, imprisoned, tortured and even murdered, in the good fight to make this basic right a reality. The struggle of South Africans against racism, discrimination, apartheid and colonialism, was fundamentally about establishing constitutional values of human rights and equal democratic participation for all who live in South Africa. Hence, South Africans owe it to our forefathers to vote. Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy and…

THIRTY years ago we were liberated from racial tyranny. Thirty 30 years later, in 2024, we will be casting our votes in the most crucial election in our lifetime. Today, we stand as a nation shattered by brazen and rampant corruption. Our economic infrastructure has been decimated, abject poverty has reached frightening proportions, law and order barely exist, responsible governance has evaporated, we destroyed the dream of our liberators by devouring voraciously the wealth of the country in an orgy of money-grabbing madness. The new elitists and their shadowy partners have transformed the nature of politics and administration. Amoral politics, self-aggrandisement, disregard of the conditional norms in the pursuit of power and political survival at any cost are their rules of the game. Few social practices have such a turbulent…

A MAN has been arrested in connection with the alleged rape and robbery of a 21-year-old woman while she was using an e-hailing service at the weekend. “A 23-year-old foreign national was arrested on charges of robbery and rape,” said police spokesperson Wesley Twigg. The suspect is expected to appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court tomorrow. The incident concerns a 21-year-old woman who requested an e-hailing trip at about 9.25pm in Alexander Street, Bellville, on Friday. She was coming from work and going home. “She was fetched by a foreign driver who instructed her to sit in the back of the hatchback vehicle. While they were travelling towards her destination, a second foreign suspect allegedly appeared from the boot and threatened her with a firearm, demanding her belongings. He robbed…

Support credible candidates who can be constructive team players in government IT IS not often that I find myself nodding along with those with whom I usually profoundly disagree and raising an eyebrow at the contributions of those I would count as political allies. But it was the position I found myself in on May 10 while moderating and listening to 10 political parties debate crime and unemployment in the Western Cape. What to make of my outbreak of fervent agreement with Patricia de Lille (GOOD); Reagan Allen (DA); Khalid Sayed (ANC); Wayne Thring (ACDP); Nkosekhaya Lala (ACC); Nazier Paulsen (EFF); Fairouz Nagia (Al Jama-ah); Lumka Mquqo (Bosa); Axolile Notywala (RISE Mzansi); and Fadiel Adams (NCC) on their plans for enhanced integration of psychosocial services to the criminal justice system…

Israel battled Hamas in Gaza yesterday, including in far-southern Rafah, despite US warnings against a full-scale invasion of the crowded city and of the threat of post-war “anarchy” across the Palestinian territory. Clashes also raged in northern and central Gaza as Israel marked a sombre Memorial Day, which is followed by Independence Day from last night, more than seven months into the war sparked by Hamas’s October 7 attack. Israelis marked a moment’s silence and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that “our war of independence is not over yet. It continues even today... We are determined to win this struggle.” AFP correspondents in Gaza reported helicopter strikes and heavy artillery shelling in the east of Rafah, as well as battles in northern Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp and Gaza City’s Zeitun…

Flash floods and mud slides in Indonesia’s West Sumatra province killed at least 44 people over the weekend while a search for 15 missing people continued, authorities said yesterday. Torrential rain on Saturday evening triggered flash floods, landslides, and cold lava flow – a mud-like mixture of volcanic ash, rock debris and water – in three districts in West Sumatra province, Abdul Malik, chief of the provincial rescue team, told Reuters. The cold lava flow, known in Indonesia as a lahar, came from Mount Marapi, one of Sumatra’s most active volcanoes. In December, more than 20 people were killed after Marapi erupted. A series of eruptions has followed since. “The heavy rain swept materials such as ash and large rocks from the Marapi volcano,” said Abdul Malik, who later added…

BARCELONA: Catalonia’s outgoing president said yesterday he would quit politics after his separatist party’s disastrous showing in the region’s election that saw Spain’s Socialists deliver an historic upset to the independence movement. Pere Aragones’s moderate Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) remains the best hope for the Socialists, who won the most votes in Sunday’s election but fell short of a majority, to form government in the prosperous northeastern region. Aragones said his party would not back the Socialists, telling them to call on hardline separatist party Junts instead. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has pardoned separatist leaders. | Reuters…

ISTANBUL: Turkish police arrested a man at Istanbul Airport suspected of trying to smuggle poisonous spiders and scorpions out of the country. The suspect has been identified as a curator at New York’s American Museum of Natural History. Police seized dozens of bags from his luggage with 1 500 scorpions and spiders, including tarantulas, and dozens of plastic bottles containing unspecified liquids. The suspect was named as Lorenzo Prendini. Police said the specimens seized were endemic to Türkiye; their DNA could be copied and their poisons milked for making medicines. The market value of one litre of medicine obtained from scorpion venom was worth $10 million (R183m). | Reuters…

The demise of Cape Town Spurs as a Premiership club will be a body blow to football development in the Mother City since the club’s youth programme has seen the careers of many players flourish over the years. Today, there are previous Cape Town-based players in almost every club around the country and many have come through the ranks of this club. After the merger of Cape Town Spurs and Seven Stars in January 1999, the club partnered with Dutch giants AFC Ajax and the association lasted two decades, under the banner of Ajax Cape Town. Ajax CT adopted the Dutch club’s famous player development model and their state-of-the-art training facility in Parow, Ikamva, attracted some of the country’s finest talents. In the years that followed, the club produced star…