Table of contents for 2024-06-27 in Cape Times

A new edition of an annual ceramics exhibition at Spier is an exploration of time, texture and memory – both the personal and the collective. Many will be familiar with the artwork by surrealist painter Salvador Dali from 1931, which features melting, warped clocks draped across an open expanse of land. The new ceramics exhibition shares its title with this piece, The Persistence of Memory (La persistència de la memòria), and contrasts hardness and softness, functionality and aesthetics – while flirting with the relativity of space, time and memory. “When working with clay, we come to understand that the clay itself holds memories,” said Tamlin Blake, chief curator at Spier Arts Trust. “If there is a dent somewhere in the clay body, particularly with porcelain, it will manifest when it…

Economists at the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) said that despite a drop in inflation it was likely that interest rate cuts would only take place next year. Other factors that have contributed to the pressure on inflation include inefficiencies at Durban’s port and consistent load shedding in 2023. This was revealed in a presentation by the SARB in Durban on Tuesday following the release of the first Monetary Policy Review for 2024. SARB economists said that according to the quarterly projection model (QPM), inflation was headed in the right direction but would only be in the target range of 4.5% in 2025. Economist Marique Kruger said that even though headline inflation had gone down from the highs of 2022 and 2023, it was still above the target’s midpoint of…

ACTIONSA has turned down an invitation to serve on the Government of National Unity (GNU) after it met the ANC following the latter’s failure to win an outright majority in the May elections. Earlier this month, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the ANC national executive committee agreed to invite political parties to form a GNU that would take into account the conditions prevailing in the country. Ramaphosa said the ANC would not preclude the possibility of working with any party so long as it was in the public interest. A total of 10 out of 18 political parties have since joined the GNU after signing a statement of intent. ActionSA, which has six seats in the National Assembly, said there was a need for an uncompromised opposition. Party leader Herman…

A serial rapist has been sentenced to seven life terms for a spate of crimes committed between 2013 and 2019. Eastern Cape Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene welcomed the sentencing of 35-year-old Anele Skunyana, who was handed seven life terms in the Gqeberha High Court on Monday. Police spokesperson Priscilla Naidu said Skunyana, a taxi driver who was already serving a 14-year sentence for a 2019 rape, was linked through DNA to seven other rape cases. “In March 2013, he raped a 26-year-old woman who was walking in Gqamlana Street in New Brighton and then in September 2013, while sitting in his car, he dragged an 18-year-old teenager into a passage and raped her. “His atrocious behaviour continued when in November 2013, he raped a 23-year old woman in…

Households affected by the planned water outage on the Cape Flats water network are expected to have their water restored today after three days of work done. This was despite a delay due to safety and security challenges on the first day of operations. Water was to return at midnight last night after six valves were replaced. Yesterday evening, Mayco member for Water and Sanitation Zahid Badroodien said as they closed in on the final stages of the critical replacement work, all six valves had been replaced and were responding positively to the pressure testing. The final two valves were replaced at the corners of Blackbird Avenue and Acacia Road in Parkwood. Badroodien said the project had been slightly delayed on the first day due to security concerns but did…

THE editorial “ANC engineered its colossal fall” of June 3 lamented the party’s renewal project as nothing but rhetoric to mask the failures of the Ramaphosa administration. Informing that view were the election outcomes, in which for the first time since the dawn of democracy, the ANC failed to secure enough votes to form a government. The election results confirmed that the voters had rejected the ANC renewal project. How can a party that continues to harbour senior members implicated in serious malfeasance claim to be cleansing itself? The ink was barely dry on that editorial when, true to form, the ANC was quick to claim the project remained intact. It said: “Over the last six years, the ANC has been engaged in a process of renewal and revitalisation. This…

NATO’s 32 nations yesterday appointed outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the alliance’s next head, handing him the job at a crucial moment with Russia on the march in Ukraine and US elections looming. Rutte will take over from Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on October 1 after major powers, spearheaded by the US, wrapped up his nomination ahead of a summit of Nato leaders in Washington next month. “Mark is a true transatlanticist, a strong leader and a consensus-builder,” Stoltenberg said on social media after Nato ambassadors approved the appointment. “I am leaving Nato in good hands,” he said. Rutte, 57, said it was a “tremendous honour” to take over from Stoltenberg once his decade at the helm of Nato ends. “The alliance is and will remain the cornerstone…

PARIS: An arrest warrant issued for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over the use of banned chemical weapons against civilians was upheld by a Paris court yesterday, one of the lawyers who lodged the initial case said. The warrant issued by French judges in November 2023 refers to charges of complicity in crimes against humanity and complicity in war crimes, followed a French investigation into chemical attacks in Douma and the district of Eastern Ghouta in August 2013, which killed more than 1 000 people. Prosecutors had challenged its validity, arguing that as a sitting head of state, Assad was immune from trial and prosecution in France. | Reuters…

MUMBAI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi passed the first big political test of his third term yesterday as a candidate from the ruling coalition was elected speaker of the lower house of parliament, defeating an opposition MP. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is having to rely on allies to run the government for the first time in a decade, while the opposition did better than expected in the recent national election. The speaker’s post was contested instead of being chosen by consensus. The BJP’s Om Birla, speaker in the last term of the house too, beat K Suresh, an MP from the opposition Congress party. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance has 293 MPs. | Reuters…

THE art exhibition and fund-raiser in support of animal welfare, RePAWposed, returns to the Noordhoek Art Point Gallery. Following its success last year, it is back to captivate art enthusiasts and animal lovers alike. “RePAWposed is not your typical art exhibition,” said Aimee Kruger, owner of Noordhoek Art Point Gallery. “It’s a testament to the transformative power of creativity and the boundless generosity of the human spirit.” More than 20 local artists will once again breathe new life into old and neglected paintings sourced from TEARS second-hand stores. With each brushstroke, they will infuse these forgotten canvases with renewed beauty and purpose, creating stunning artworks that speak volumes about resilience and hope. Starting from July 1, the Noordhoek Art Point Gallery will be adorned with these reimagined artworks, inviting visitors…

Cape Ballet Africa is set to ignite the Baxter stage with its inaugural season celebrating new work by a trio of revered South African choreographers. SALT features a triple bill of ballets by Kirsten Isenberg, multiple award-winning choreographer Mthuthuzeli November and Michelle Reid, in a programme that prioritises the commissioning and creation of new South African choreographic works. SALT will be performed from September 21-28 in the Pam Golding Theatre at The Baxter. “Salt resonates on so many levels in our daily existence. It flavours, purifies, heals, preserves. Salt has significance in ancient rituals, warding off evil, keeping us safe and inspiring us to a higher spiritual realm,” said Debbie Turner, founder and artistic director of Cape Ballet Africa. “For our auspicious inaugural season, the three works by Isenberg, November…

Opposition parties say they will watch the DA’s Raymond Ross like a hawk after his appointment as Cape Agulhas Municipality mayor. Ross was elected at a special council meeting on Tuesday. He takes over from Paul Swart, who was ousted last month after a motion of no confidence. “This appointment marks a significant step forward for our community, reflecting councillor Ross’s dedication and vision for our municipality. His leadership promises to bring fresh perspectives and effective governance to our region, ensuring a prosperous and harmonious future for all. “We congratulate Ross on his well-deserved election as the executive mayor. Let us embrace this new chapter with optimism and unity as we continue to build a vibrant and inclusive Cape Agulhas Municipality,” said the municipality. Ross was previously the deputy mayor…

‘Adolescents are targeted either as being seen or associated with rival gangs’ ILLEGAL firearm and ammunition confiscations should place the focus on combating the alarming numbers of children falling victim to firearm-related injuries and deaths. The Health Department recently disclosed, in a child homicide report, that 333 children were attended to at public health facilities for firearm-related injuries while 58 children died due to firearms in the first six months of this year. The report noted that at the current rate, the number of firearm-related homicides in 2024 in children could exceed 100 by year-end. Stellenbosch University criminologist, Dr Guy Lamb said the data presented by the provincial Health Department demonstrated trends seen over a number of decades in South Africa. “It is typically children 15 years and older that…

TWO years later, the families of 21 young people who lost their lives in the Enyobeni tavern tragedy in the Eastern Cape are still seeking closure about what really transpired on the day of their deaths. A formal inquest into the event of June 26, 2022, where the teenagers, the youngest aged 13, lost their lives during a “pens down” celebration at the Scenery Park establishment in East London is still pending. A candlelight service was held yesterday to mark the second anniversary of the incident which sparked widespread outrage in South Africa and made international headlines. The tavern owners, Vuyokazi and her husband Siyakhangela Ndevu, were found guilty of selling or supplying intoxicating liquor to persons under the age of 18. In February, the East London Regional Court fined…

I think most people by now, in early 2024, have come to realise how passionate I have become about that ugly disease in our world called racism. It is a disease, which has people wrongly believing that one set of people is superior or inferior to another because of the colour of their skin. This is why I am extremely honoured to have been asked to write the foreword for We Were Always Here as its subject matter attempts to right the imbalance. To understand racism, one needs to understand the root cause of the disease. In my opinion, the cause goes back to the way we were taught and, to some degree, continue to be taught. And when I use the word “we”, I’m referring to the universal “we”.…

Kenyan President William Ruto said yesterday that a bill containing contentious tax hikes would “be withdrawn”, dramatically reversing course after more than 20 people were killed in clashes with police and parliament was ransacked by protesters opposed to the legislation. The initially peaceful demonstrations were sparked last week by the 2024 finance bill – which politicians passed Tuesday afternoon – and took Ruto’s administration by surprise as rallies gathered momentum across the country. But the Gen-Z-led protests spiralled into violence Tuesday when police fired live bullets at the crowds outside parliament, leaving the complex ransacked and partly ablaze. Nineteen people were killed in the capital Nairobi, a state-funded rights watchdog said. “I concede and therefore I will not sign the 2024 finance bill and it shall subsequently be withdrawn,” Ruto…

Israeli forces pounded several areas across Gaza yesterday, and residents reported fierce fighting overnight in Rafah in the south of the Palestinian enclave. Residents said fighting intensified in the Tel Al-Sultan suburb in western Rafah, where tanks were also trying to force their way north amid heavy clashes. The armed wings of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad said fighters attacked Israeli forces with anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs. Later yesterday, an Israeli strike killed three Palestinians and wounded others near the northern Jabalia refugee camp, medics said. In Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, tank shells struck a flat, killing at least five people and wounding others. Medics said that two Palestinians were killed in one Israeli missile strike in Rafah. The Israeli military said its forces killed a…

VIENNA: The Taliban-ordered crash in opium production in Afghanistan, long the world’s dominant supplier, could drive up overdose deaths as heroin users switch to synthetic opioids already proving deadly in Europe, a UN report said yesterday. The cultivation of opium, from which heroin is made, fell by 95% in Afghanistan last year after the Taliban banned the production of narcotics in 2022. Although opium production in Myanmar increased by 36% last year, it still fell globally by 75%, the UN said in its annual World Drug Report. Overdose deaths from nitazenes, a type of synthetic opioid more potent than fentanyl, have been reported in Ireland, Britain, Estonia and Latvia, the UN said. | Reuters…

SEOUL: Take-offs and landings at South Korea’s Incheon international airport were disrupted yesterday for about three hours before dawn because of balloons launched by North Korea filled with refuse, an airport spokesperson said. One balloon landed on the tarmac near passenger Terminal 2 and the three runways at Incheon were temporarily shut down, the spokesperson said. North Korea has flown balloons carrying trash into South Korea since late May, with hundreds landing in South Korea. North Korea has said the balloons are retaliation for a propaganda campaign by North Korean defectors and activists in the South. | Reuters…

BAFANA Bafana were held 1-1 by Mozambique in their opening game of the Cosafa Cup at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha last night. South Africa scored first, but were then pegged back in the second half and the game remained level until full-time with both sides taking a point each. Cape Town Spurs defender Rushwin Dortley broke the deadlock for the home side in the 39th minute following a fairly Bafana-dominated first stanza. The central defender found himself in the box after a set-piece and somehow was left unmarked when receiving an Ethan Brooks pass, and he did well to compose himself before slotting past goalkeeper Acaio Muendene. The visitors needed the half-time break to try and engineer any attacking potential, and they were rewarded in the 64th…

Flip du Plessis was in his late fifties when his life was upended and he lost his job, having to start over as an entrepreneur in 2019 – just as Covid-19 was about to hit and shutting the doors on everything that wasn’t considered essential. Du Plessis, whose business is called F&F Steel and Aluminium, has spent 50 years in the steel fabrication and boilermaking industry, having started his apprenticeship at Fochville Engineering, out past Carltonville on the Potch road as you head into North West from Gauteng. His entry into the steel fabrication industry was not planned as he had to leave school to start work in 1974 when his father died. “I didn’t have much choice but to leave school and start working to support my family.” After…

from page 1 In separate operations since Saturday, six firearms – two of which were found during a search at the funeral of a gang member – and 26 rounds of ammunition were confiscated by SAPS. Pojie said: “Members attached to the National Public Order Police (POP) based in Cape Town are making inroads in the fight against the proliferation of illegal firearms which pose a threat to the safety of the inhabitants of this province. “(In Strand) POP were deployed to police a funeral of a known gangster who was shot and killed a week ago. “During the event members conducted random searches and confiscated two firearms which resulted in the arrests of two adult males,” said Pojie. Condemning the child injuries and fatalities, Action Society’s Kaylynn Palm said…

Parliament has moved ahead to decide on forming portfolio committees while President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to announce his new Cabinet of the Government of National Unity (GNU). Yesterday, both the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) held the first meeting of their rules committee to decide how they would conduct their business. They met against the backdrop of negotiations on the constituting of the Cabinet that was still under way amid jockeying for ministerial positions. National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza said: “We do not have a sense of how many departments we are going to have.” NCOP chairperson Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane said that their rules subcommittee on the review of the rules would need to have to look at how the GNU would affect the business of…

THE Eastern Cape winter initiation season death toll has risen to four, with more than 30 initiates, mostly school boys, rescued in one area. Of the four recorded deaths, three emanated from illegal schools. According to the provincial Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Zolile Williams, he had to close a bogus initiation school in Mount Ayliff under the Mzimvubu Local Municipality and 33 initiates were rescued. “The 33 initiates, most of them schoolboys from the small town of Mount Ayliff, had undergone the circumcision ritual without the consent or knowledge of their parents. The initiates did not have proper documentation required before undergoing the rite of passage in terms of the legislation. After the closure, some of the initiates were rushed to nearby hospitals and others were sent…

What sparked your interest in the legal field? My interest in the legal field was sparked by a deep-seated passion for justice and a desire to make a meaningful impact on society. Growing up, I was always intrigued by the law’s role in shaping societal norms, protecting rights, and resolving conflicts. This curiosity led me to explore various facets of the legal system and its influence on everyday life. During my formative years, I witnessed instances where access to justice was limited, and I became acutely aware of the impact that legal advocacy can have on people’s lives. This awareness drove me to pursue a career where I could make a tangible difference, ensuring that justice is not just an ideal but a reality for all. My academic journey further…

A CUSTOMER at a Sportscene shop in Mthatha, who was injured when she slipped and fell on a wet mat at the entrance to the premises, instituted a damages claim against Sportscene, as she alleged that the fall was due to its negligence. Nondumiso Myathaza suffered the injuries in December 2019, when she was about to enter the store. She told the Eastern Cape High Court, sitting in Mthatha, that she had slipped on a mat that had been wet from rain. Myathaza said she had injured her left ankle as a result of the fall. Sportscene denied liability and alleged that Myathaza had tripped over her own legs outside the premises and had fallen into the entrance of Sportscene. The plaintiff’s version is that she had gone to Sportscene…

On June 10 and 11, the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting took place in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. South Africa was represented by International Relations and Co-operation Minister Naledi Pandor. Within the framework of the meeting, the ideas laid down by the South African chairmanship last year have been further developed. SA’s BRICS chairmanship achieved a historic result: the number of BRICS participants doubled from five to 10. From January 1, 2024, Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia became full BRICS members. This is what Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on the eve of the foreign ministers’ meeting: “Establishing a dialogue with the countries that show interest in rapprochement with BRICS, interest in the whole gamut, from full membership to establishing working, partnership relations, is a very…

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange landed to an ecstatic welcome in Australia yesterday after pleading guilty to violating US espionage law in a deal that sets him free from a 14-year legal battle. Assange disembarked from a private jet at Canberra airport, waving to waiting media and cheering supporters before passionately kissing his wife, Stella, and lifting her off the ground.He embraced his father before entering the terminal building with his legal team. At a WikiLeaks press conference at a hotel in Canberra, Stella Assange said it was too soon to say what her husband would do next. “Julian needs time to recover, to get used to freedom,” she said. “I want Julian to have that space to rediscover that freedom.” She added she believed her husband would be pardoned. Australia…

The US Supreme Court has rejected a Republican-led bid to curb government contact with social media companies to moderate their content, a ruling that could bolster official efforts to fight misinformation in a key election year. The justices, voting 6-3, said the challengers did not have a legal standing to sue. Republican attorneys-general had lodged the suit, saying government officials went too far to get platforms to combat vaccine and election misinformation, violating First Amendment free speech rights. Last year, a lower court restricted top officials and agencies of Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration from meeting and communicating with social media companies to moderate their content. Yesterday’s decision was a setback for conservatives who allege the government has pressured platforms such as Facebook and X to censor right-leaning content under…

Paris: Climate change campaigners protested at Chinese embassies in 10 countries this week, calling on China not to finance the construction of TotalEnergies’ controversial oil pipeline in East Africa. Activists said Chinese banks and insurers are financiers of “last resort” for TotalEnergies, which has struggled to secure the loans to build the pipeline. The French energy giant is pushing ahead with its Tilenga drilling project in Uganda and the 1 443km East African Crude Oil Pipeline to transport its output to the Tanzanian coast. Up to 29 insurance companies and 27 banks have ruled out support for the pipeline, activists say. | AFP…

WASHINGTON: Reality TV star Paris Hilton was set to testify before a US House of Representatives committee hearing yesterday, in support of reauthorisation of a federal programme responsible for children in foster care. Hilton, 43, the great-granddaughter of Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton, has spoken publicly about the alleged emotional and physical abuse she endured when she was placed in residential youth treatment facilities as a teenager. Hilton has been a vocal advocate for greater oversight of the system. She was to testify about how the US child welfare programme could be improved, including interventions before foster care is needed. | Reuters…

“This is the BCCI’s world and we’re all just living in it.” That could easily be the slogan for the T20 World Cup, as the proceedings leading up to the tournament and during the showpiece event itself have left no doubt that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is exclusively and unfairly running the sport. It is one thing to accept that India takes the lion’s share of the yearly earnings that the sport generates because, at the end of the day, there is no escaping that through the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the billions of Indian-based cricket lovers, the Asian nation single-handedly produces a huge chunk of the income the game makes year in and year out. This year, the IPL ran for almost 10…