Table of contents for 2024-06-06 in Cape Times

IN A BID to meet the evolving needs of its consumers, increase choice and moderation, South African Breweries (SAB) has introduced a new alcohol-free beer as the brewer sees a growing market in the 0% alcohol beverages. SAB yesterday said the Corona Cero, with Vitamin D, would grow its portfolio of global brands that resonate with South Africans and meet their changing consumption needs “This alcohol-free beer broadens the consumer choice and is a pronounced expression of our commitment to ensuring moderation,” said Zoleka Lisa, vice-president of corporate affairs at SAB. “We have always maintained that beer is a beverage of moderation, and this now provides consumers with even more options. Furthermore, it encourages a culture of responsibility among South Africans, which we are deliberate in enabling at SAB.” Corona…

Artscape celebrates Youth Month The artistic prowess of South Africa’s Born Frees takes centre stage this month at Artscape with a jam-packed series of productions that seek to celebrate and amplify the diverse voices, expressions and talents of local youth. The repertoire includes a smorgasbord of genres from jazz to hip hop, drama and even some magic. It seeks to honour the sacrifices made by the youth of 1976, before and beyond, who were instrumental in attaining our democratic freedom, including artistic, during 30 years of democracy. JAZZ The 21st rendition of the “Youth Jazz Series” sees young musicians, including those acquiring jazz skills by ear, who were auditioned to be part of the programme for the 2024 edition, trumpet their skills. The project, directed by the head of Jazz…

THE ANC has refused to be drawn into commenting about statements made by some of its leaders who have expressed their wishes on whom it should enter into a coalition with. The ANC has held meetings with the IFP, EFF, DA, NFP and PA as well as its alliance partners after it failed to win an outright majority in the National Assembly and some provinces such as Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern Cape. The ANC has yet to engage the MK Party after it did not receive a positive response. Addressing the media on the outcome of the the national working committee (NWC) meeting, national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said yesterday that the ANC has its own internal democratic process. “Anyone who speaks outside of that internal democratic process knows…

E-HAILING service Bolt has permanently blocked 6 000 of its registered drivers across South Africa in the past six months in efforts to improve safety. According to the company, the strict measure to suspend the drivers was due to non-compliance and safety-related matters. Bolt acting head of regulatory and policy Africa Weyinmi Aghadiuno said they believed the sanction against drivers would send a clear message to all other drivers using their platform. “It underscores our commitment to maintaining high standards of safety, professionalism, and respect, which are crucial for the trust and well-being of our community. We hope this action reinforces the importance of adhering to our guidelines and the serious consequences of failing to do so. “The company will continue to permanently block drivers and riders who have been…

University of Pretoria (UP) scientists have contributed to discovering how the naked mole rat is able to withstand heart attacks and fend off bowel cancer, two of the most fatal human ailments in the developed world. Their findings were published recently in two Nature Communications papers. Professor Nigel Bennett and Dr Daniel Hart, co-authors of both papers and experts in mole rat evolution at UP’s Department of Zoology and Entomology, say the findings add to a long list of mole rat “superpowers” that have already been discovered, including slower ageing, natural contraception and the ability to bypass pain responses – all of which are of great interest to biomedical researchers working on human health. “The main reason we believe mole rats have these ‘superpowers’ is because they live in such…

THE National Director of Public Prosecutions will turn to court next week to obtain an urgent order against Absa Bank, which it said had committed a criminal offence by contravening the Prevention of Organised Crime Act as it paid about R100 million over to the provisional liquidators of Tariomix – this in spite of an earlier preservation order of the funds. The preservation order was obtained in 2021 by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in which R100m in bank accounts linked to diamond dealer Louis Liebenberg was frozen following allegations of money laundering and that he was running a Ponzi scheme. The preservation order was later overturned by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, following an application by Liebenberg. The NPA is subsequently appealing this before the Supreme Court of Appeal…

Those calling for an alliance with the DA should have their membership cards revoked If the ANC enters into a grand coalition with the DA, it would kill the movement, the tripartite alliance, and the National Democratic Revolution. This is what the DA wants. They want to sever Cyril Ramaphosa’s centre-right iteration of the ANC from the alliance partners, and they are succeeding. Historically there has always been room for difference within the ANC. We have seen these contestations play out politically and in policy, but always within the parameters of the “broad church” of the ANC and the tripartite alliance. An alliance with the DA would go beyond these. It could be argued that this would be counter-revolutionary. These counter-revolutionaries are selling out the National Democratic Revolution (NDR), long…

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s National Democratic Alliance formally named him yesterday to lead a new coalition government for a third straight term, a day after it regained power with a surprisingly slim majority. Modi, a populist who has dominated Indian politics since 2014, will for the first time head a government dependent on the support of regional allies whose loyalties have wavered over time, which could complicate the new cabinet’s reform agenda. A day after the humbling election outcome for his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) became clear, Modi submitted his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu after the cabinet recommended the dissolution of parliament – the first of many formalities before Modi can form a new government. This was followed by a meeting of 15 parties in the National Democratic…

Manila: Heavy rain washed volcanic mud and debris through a village in the central Philippines yesterday, two days after a nearby volcano erupted. Mount Kanlaon on Negros island exploded on Monday evening, sending a plume of ash, rocks and gases 5km into the sky. Images posted on Facebook show a torrent of grey mud and rocks, known as cold lava flow, or lahar, roaring down a watercourse in Biaknabato village in Negros Occidental province. A bulldozer and three dump trucks were deployed to remove the lahar after it stopped flowing but Fernandez said it “might take time” to clear. There were no reports of casualties. Hundreds of people have been evacuated. | AFP…

Luxembourg: McDonald’s has lost a legal battle against an Irish fast food chain after a top EU court ruled the global chain could not exclusively call its chicken burgers “Big Mac”. The fight began in 2017 when Supermac’s of Ireland sought to have McDonald’s “Big Mac” trademark revoked in the EU, after the US giant opposed the Irish chain’s trademark application in the bloc. The EU Intellectual Property Office initially upheld Supermac’s application, but on appeal reaffirmed trademark protection for McDonald’s “Big Mac” hamburgers. But yesterday, the General Court ruled McDonald’s could not claim protection for the chicken version of its burger; but the beef one remains trademarked. | AFP…

THE ANC has entered into talks with a number of parties to form a government of national unity after it failed to win an outright majority in the National Assembly and three provinces. However, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has snubbed the exploratory talks; the ANC says it did not receive a positive response on reaching out to them. This emerged after the national working committee (NWC) met on Tuesday, where the leadership from Kwazulu-Natal and Gauteng were in attendance to make presentations on the initial conversations taking place in their respective provinces and were then given a further mandate to proceed with negotiations. Briefing the media on the NWC outcomes, spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said the ANC has taken the position that it must act in the interests of the…

Research into climate change adaptation and mitigation has received a multimillion boost. The National Research Foundation (NRF) has welcomed $92 million (R1.7 billion) investment into the International Joint Initiative for Research in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation. The Canada Research Co-ordinating Committee, which leads this global joint initiative that funds interdisciplinary and trans-sectoral research on key risks of climate change, made the announcement in Ottawa, Canada, on Monday. The Canada Research Co-ordinating Committee is part of a consortium of research funders with which the NRF is working under the International Joint Initiative for Research in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation. The other research funders are from Brazil, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, the UK and the US. In its role as a participating research funder in the initiative, the NRF…

The “clack clack noise” a woman’s brand new Volkswagen Polo Vivo made when she tried in vain to switch on the ignition for the first time was just too much for the new owner – she wanted another brand-new vehicle delivered to her or be refunded. When this was refused by the dealership, Masego Makadu turned to the Northern Cape High Court, sitting in Kimberley, as she felt her rights in terms of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) had been violated. However, she discovered that it was not so simple as the court turned down her application, finding that she had not yet exhausted all her internal remedies to try to find a solution to her problem. Makadu’s problems started in August 2019 when she concluded an instalment sale…

Three decades ago, in 1994, South Africa was ushered into a highly contested election with snaking queues and buzzing energy among first-time voters. Some described the event as their most emotional experience since the military veterans returned to the country with a different weapon, to free the people through the ballot. Among the major players in the ballot was the Democratic Party, which existed during our bloodbath years of colonialism under different names and became the DA in the democratic phase that was ushered in. The Freedom Front Plus was there too, with the same agenda of colonial perpetration. The IFP, which was formed in the late 1980s on the instruction of former ANC president Oliver Tambo, to organise then AmaZulu as one of the pillars of the ANC to…

Israel’s military pounded central Gaza with heavy air strikes yesterday as US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators planned to resume talks on a truce and hostage release deal. Tensions were high in annexed east Jerusalem where thousands of police were deployed to guard Israel’s annual “flag march” that has sparked clashes between Jews and Arabs in previous years. The bloodiest Gaza war, sparked by Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel, raged on unabated with jets bombing targets overnight and Palestinian officials reporting yet more deaths. Urban combat and shelling rocked Gaza’s southern city of Rafah near the Egyptian border, the last area hit by the Israeli ground invasion launched in northern Gaza in late October. But fighting has also flared again in central areas, where the army said “troops have…

An Italian court found American Amanda Knox guilty of slander yesterday and handed her a three-year jail sentence in a case related to the murder of her British flatmate in 2007. The sentence is covered by the time Knox spent in jail before her conviction for the killing of British student Meredith Kercher in Perugia was annulled in 2015. Knox, who was in court for the verdict, had been sentenced to three years for wrongly accusing Congolese bar owner Patrick Lumumba of killing Kercher in an earlier case. Knox spent four years in jail for the killing of Kercher. Her lawyer, Luca Luparia Donati said she planned to appeal. Knox, now aged 36, earlier accused Italian police of threats and violence as she sought to clear her name in the…

CANBERRA: A highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza has been found on a fourth poultry farm near Melbourne near two other properties where the virus had already been detected, the government of Australia’s Victoria state said yesterday. The H7N3 strain of the virus has been detected at the farm, it said, which is not the same as the H5N1 strain that has spread globally through bird and mammal populations and even into humans. H7N3 has now been found at three farms near the town of Meredith and an H7N9 strain has infected another farm near Terang, an hour and half’s drive east. | Reuters…

MOSCOW: Russia will send additional military supplies and instructors to Burkina Faso to help boost its defence capabilities and fight terrorism, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said yesterday. Burkina Faso, under military leadership since a 2022 coup, has played host to contingents of the Wagner mercenary force, whose founder Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash last August. Lavrov has made a series of visits to Africa since the start of the war in Ukraine as Russia, hit by Western sanctions, seeks new trade partners and tries to rally developing countries behind its vision of a “multipolar world” no longer dominated by the US. | Reuters…

AS THE MULTI-billion rand pet industry continues to boom in South Africa, a savvy entrepreneur saw an opportunity to start a private dog park in Rand Park Ridge in Johannesburg. Laura Hastie realised there was a gap in the market for animal lovers after her dog was attacked while being walked in a public park. Following that experience, the 33-year-old began walking her dog Lucy at different places in her area, however, she still encountered other dogs that posed a risk to herself and her furry friend. This was when she took it upon herself to create a safe, private place to walk her dog which resulted in her private dog park, Barks & Recreation. Hastie told Business Report: “The idea for Barks and Rec first started when my…

Everard Read, in association with John Martin Gallery, is presenting a major exhibition in Suffolk by one of South Africa’s most loved and respected artists, Deborah Bell. Encompassing sculpture and paintings made over the past 25 years, this is the largest survey of Bell’s work in Europe and includes monumental bronzes, several on exhibition in the UK for the first time. At the heart of the exhibition are the artist’s cast of her Unearthed sculptures which have not been shown in the UK. Bell was making this series of sculptures as the 20th century was coming to a close. “At the end of the millennium I became very conscious of history and dates. “I started thinking about the legacy of the last 2 000 years, (our Christian heritage), and our…

Ex-minister’s appearance builds on dozens of enrolments of high-profile state capture corruption matters, says NPA FORMER minister of sports, arts and culture Zizi Kodwa believes that the State’s case against him is weak, as it relies on his testimony before the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture. Kodwa tendered his resignation as minister yesterday after appearing in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on corruption charges alongside co-accused, EOH boss Jehan Mackay. The charges relate to allegations that Kodwa influenced the awarding of contracts during his time as ANC spokesperson and member of the party’s national executive committee (NEC) between April 2015 and February 2016. Kodwa and his co-accused were granted R30 000 bail each and the matter was postponed to July 23. Arguing for his client, Zola Majavu…

500 g mixed cultivated mushrooms, big browns, portabellos, porta- bellinis, buttons, baby buttons etc, sliced 1 tbs fresh thyme leaves 2 stalks celery, finely sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 large onion, finely diced 2 medium carrots, peeled, chopped 1 tbs flour 2 litres vegetable stock 400 g tin diced tomatoes 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce 1 cup pearl barley 4 tbs fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish 1 tbs red wine vinegar Olive oil for cooking Salt and pepper to taste Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the mushrooms and thyme, and cook until golden brown. Transfer the mushrooms to a rack- lined baking tray. Add a fresh drizzle of olive oil and the celery, garlic, onion and carrot. Cook…

SOUTH Africans joined countries around the globe in celebrating World Environment Day 2024 yesterday, to raise awareness about the importance of habitat and land restoration, combating desertification and, in assisting communities, build drought resilience. The theme this year is “Our Land. Our Future”, providing the opportunity for all to reflect on the benefits of investing in land and habitat restoration and conservation, for people and wildlife. “The focus on combating desertification, restoring lands and building drought resilience ahead of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s 16th Conference of Parties in Colombia later this year, is also aligned to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration’s slogan #GenerationRestoration, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) said. “The aim of the UN Decade is to ensure that all countries act on their commitments to prevent, halt…

INSTABILITY characterised the early stages of coalition government in local government, particularly in three metros after the most recent municipal elections in 2021. Remember the time that the Cities of Joburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane were marred by the chopping and changing of leadership as a result of power struggles between the parties who could not find each other as coalition partners? History has a way of repeating itself. Don’t expect the potential coalition government that runs the country to have smooth sailing. Ideologies will clash, leading to severe cracks that might result in the collapse of whatever partnerships are entered into. Some might argue that the country is in a much better position than it was at the beginning of local government coalitions in 2021. This is not to say…

US President Joe Biden yesterday began a state visit to France marking 80 years since the World War II D-Day landings, with a new war shadowing Europe as Ukraine battles Russia’s invasion. Along with French President Emmanuel Macron, British King Charles III and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Biden will today remember the heroism of the Allied troops who gave their lives in the landings on June 6, 1944, to free Europe from Nazi occupation. For King Charles, it will be his first overseas visit since his cancer diagnosis. While the sacrifice of Allied soldiers will be centre stage, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian President Sergio Mattarella will also be present as a sign of international post-World War II reconciliation. Flying aboard Air Force One, Biden touched down at…

Boeing yesterday launched its first astronauts bound for the International Space Station aboard a Starliner capsule, which joins a select club of spacecraft to carry humans beyond Earth. The third time turned out to be the charm for the aerospace giant, after two previous bids to fly with crew were aborted late into the countdown, for technical reasons. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, both of whom have two previous spaceflights under their belts, blasted off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, for a week’s stay at the station. Starliner is the sixth US-built spaceship to fly Nasa astronauts. Its programme has been beset by safety scares, and a successful mission will offer Boeing a reprieve from safety concerns surrounding its passenger jets. | AFP…

MADRID: A unit of General Dynamics, Spain-based Santa Barbara Systems – refurbishing Leopard tanks for Ukraine – suffered a cyber attack that took its website down, a pro-Russian hackers group said. General Dynamics in Germany said the defence contractor was still analysing the cause of the website outage. The NoName hacking group claimed the distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. DDoS attacks direct high volumes of internet traffic to targeted servers to knock them offline. The group often directs such actions against countries which support Ukraine. Spain last week pledged €1 billion (R20.6bn) in military support for Ukraine. | Reuters…

Stockholm: A Swedish rapper who was last month named the country’s hip hop artist of the year has been killed in a gang shooting in Gothenburg, Swedish police said yesterday. Masked rapper C Gambino, 26, – whose real name is Karar Ramadan and is not to be confused with American rapper Childish Gambino – was the victim of a shooting in a parking lot this week. The killing “is linked to a gang conflict”, police said, adding that the rapper “was known to police”. He had reportedly moved away from his criminal past. C Gambino’s songs attract around a million listeners on Spotify a month. Sweden has struggled to contain gang violence in recent years. | AFP…

Chris Smith has had to take the road less travelled to play high-level rugby, but his consistent performances make him a match-winner. And considering his personal trophy cabinet, he has a good chance of opening that door once more with the Bulls this season. Having featured for the Western Province Under-21 team after completing his schooling at SACS, Smith made his name at Varsity Cup level with Maties, and won the title in 2018 before joining the Pumas. Smith made an impression at the Mpumalanga side, becoming the top points scorer as they won the SuperSport Rugby Challenge in 2018, where he was also the Player of the Year. He eventually joined the Bulls in 2020, and was again at the forefront of their turnaround under new coach Jake White…