Table of contents for 2024-08-05 in Cape Times

Senior leaders of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) led by former ANC president Jacob Zuma said the party is in no rush to hold a conference where it will elect new leaders. The chopping and changing of MKP leaders has raised questions about the future of the party, with its secretary-general Arthur Zwane being the latest senior leader to get the chop. Zwane’s second sacking took place just two weeks after he was reinstated. According to insiders, he was booted for “misleading the party”. Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said some of the reasons why the party is not rushing to hold an elective conference is because they have to vet members in their leadership. Ndhlela said they will first do background checks and vet anyone who launches a branch…

Ramaphosa on poor performance at polls under his leadership FRESH from a bruising round of national and provincial elections, the ANC is now bracing for the worst at the local government level. The party is deploying its national task team on coalitions to “stabilise” hung municipalities, starting with Johannesburg this month. ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa disclosed this in his political overview when he addressed the opening of the party’s lekgotla yesterday. The lekgotla followed the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC)where the party also reflected on its poor performance in the May 29 elections where, for the first time, it failed to secure enough votes to form a government. The party is also racing against time to improve its fortunes at local government elections ahead of the 2026 elections. In…

FOR THE first time in its 105-year history, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly 2024 will take place in Africa this week. The event from August 6-15 will see more than 2 000 professional astronomers from 82 countries gather in Cape Town for the world’s largest international meeting of astronomers. Included in its series of firsts, the IAU will also open certain General Assembly sessions to the public, and allow anyone with internet access to watch sessions in pre-recorded or live format on YouTube. The IAU is an international organisation with a membership of over 12 000 active professional astronomers from more than 100 countries who promote astronomy in all its aspects, including research, communication, education and development, through international cooperation. The IAU is also the recognised authority that…

THE idea regarding investments by pension funds in government projects recently raised by Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Mnister Zuko Godlimpi is not a new one. The same ideas have been expressed time and time again by the President and others. The following quotation is a repetition of the false belief that funds belonging to members of pension funds are freely available for the government: "Relying on the total endowment that we have that include the pensions that we have. The Thai include pensions that the country has." The Association for Monitoring and Advocacy of Government Pensions (AMAGP) cannot speak for other pension funds, but money belonging to the GEPF should be used for its sustainability and growth and not for government adventures and gambling…

125g soft butter 125g sugar 2 large eggs 100g self-raising flour 30ml cocoa powder 15ml instant coffee powder 1/2 x 360g tin caramel treat 25ml cream Use a whisk and beat the soft butter and sugar together until light. Whisk in the eggs. Add the flour, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt. Mix the coffee powder with 15ml boiling water. Add half to the batter and fold in gently. Grease and line the bottom of a 15cm cake tin with baking paper. Spoon the batter into the tin and spread out evenly. Make a pleat in the middle of a double layer of greaseproof paper. Place the paper over the top of the cake tin so that the pleat is in the middle and then secure closed with string.…

An Israeli airstrike hit a tent inside a hospital compound in central Gaza, killing at least five people, bringing the total of Palestinians killed yesterday to 19, Gaza health officials said, after another round of talks ended without result. The airstrike hit a tent area inside the Al-Aqsa Hospital compound, starting a fire, and wounding at least 18 people in addition to the five killed, medical authorities said. The Israeli military said it struck a militant who “conducted terror activities” and that secondary explosions were identified, indicating weapons were present in the area. Its statement said that it struck 50 military targets across the enclave in the last 24 hours, including militants’ cells. The hospital compound is in the Deir Al-Balah area, which is crowded with thousands of people displaced…

Anti-immigration protesters broke hotel windows and set bins on fire in northern England yesterday in the latest wave of unrest that has presented a major test to new Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government. Violent protests involving hundreds of anti-immigration protesters have erupted in towns and cities across Britain after three girls were killed in a knife attack at a children’s dance class in Southport in northwest England last week. The murders were seized on by anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim groups as misinformation spread that the suspected attacker was an immigrant and a radical Islamist. Police said the suspect was born in Britain. Reports have said his family is Christian. Violent disorder broke out in cities around the country on Saturday, resulting in dozens of arrests as shops and businesses were vandalised…

MIAMI: Tropical Storm Debby was expected to gather strength and become a hurricane yesterday, the US National Hurricane Center said. Forecasters were expecting a large number of Atlantic hurricanes in the 2024 season, which began on June 1, with four to seven seen as major, among 25 named storms. Debby was crawling at 20km/h into the Gulf Coast, packing maximum sustained winds of nearly 95km/h as it gains strength. Governor Ron DeSantis called up 3 000 National Guard and placed most of Florida’s cities and counties under emergency orders, while evacuations were ordered in parts of the Gulf Coast counties of Pasco Hernando and Citrus. | Reuters…

Washington: US Vice-President and Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris has turned down a September 4 debate on Fox News proposed by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The Harris campaign said that Trump was trying to “back out” of a debate with US President Joe Biden that had already been set to run on ABC. Harris said on Saturday that she planned to participate in the originally planned debate. “I’ll be there on September 10, like he agreed to. I hope to see him there,” she said. Trump had suggested that the debate should be moved to Fox, which is most popular with his followers. | IANS…

The Proteas have returned to the island paradise of the West Indies, as they set their sights on back-to-back series wins in the Caribbean. The first Test of two will get under way on Wednesday at the Queens Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago at 4pm. Fresh from a drawn warm-up match against a West Indies Championship XI, Temba Bavuma and his teammates all had a useful outing at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy Ground after winning the toss and electing to field first. The Proteas’ first-innings score of 408-8 declared was enough to get the home side to bat twice, while there were also decent contributions with the willow from David Bedingham (74 retired out) and Kyle Verrynne (65 retired out). Ryan Rickelton created a selection poser for coach…

Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Dion George, has outlined measures put in place by his department to minimise the impact of budget cuts in the 2024-25 financial year. George said budget cuts over the 2024 medium term expenditure framework period amounted to R2.5 billion. The budget cuts had “placed pressure on the business operations of the department”, he said. George also said funding has been reprioritised from existing resources by implementing cost containment measures on non-core items such as catering, venues, travel and subsistence to deal with facilities management. “Rising cost of maintenance and fuel have been funded from reprioritisation from within the department budget. “The rate of rising costs will eventually not be affordable and will require revision to the number of voyages undertaken by the department as…

The National Department of Health expects to have 90 Contracting Units for Primary Health Care (CUPs) as part of the first phase of the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme. This is according to Nicholas Crisp, deputy director-general for the NHI at the Health Department, who spoke at the 28th Annual KZN Doctors Healthcare Coalition (KZNDHC) conference on Friday night. Crisp said Phase 1 started in 2023 and will run until 2026, while Phase 2 will be conducted from 2026 to 2028. CUPs are areas or units where health care providers in both the public and private sector will use the national digital Health Patient Registration System (HPRS) when treating patients. “In our planning over the next three years, we want to get from the first nine (CUPs) to 90, to…

TRANSPORT Minister Barbara Creecy has revealed that the Road Accident Fund (RAF) was saddled with a total of 321 251 outstanding claims as at last month. Creecy said over half the number of the claims were four years and older and summons were issued against the Road Accident Fund in at least 196 765 claims. “The net number of open claims as of 19 July 2024 is 321 251 claims. The number of claims that are four years or older from the date of lodgement is 174 042 claims, which made up 54% of the net open claims portfolio,” she said. “This situation is not sustainable from either a humanitarian or financial perspective, and requires policy and administrative reform,” Creecy said. She would not say how much the cost of…

CAPE Town has in recent weeks been devastated by rampant gang violence terrorising our people. As much as this has been normalised, this is not normal and this way of life is not accepted. The Calvyn Protestant Church of South Africa and Namibia strongly condemns these inhumane acts of criminality. The attack on SAPS officials is not the way to solve the injustices we are facing. Violence and crime is not the South African way. As South Africans we are different but this difference is not a platform for violence. Our collective consciousness of goodwill, one towards the other, will continue to inspire us to achieve and rise beyond the struggles of our time. The church categorically states and affirms that the unnatural propensity to solve problems through violence is…

THE assassination in Iran of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Hamas resistance movement, is one of the most alarming of crimes that apartheid Israel continuously inflicts, not only on the leaders of Palestine, but also on innocent Palestinians as evidenced in the current genocide unfolding in Gaza. It seems apartheid Israel’s fascists leaders do not want a negotiated settlement as they have been incessantly killing Hamas leaders who are in the process of negotiations with the oppressive Zionist regime. In 2004, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the quadriplegic spiritual leader and co-founder of Hamas, was assassinated. A few months later, his successor Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi was murdered. Both leaders were in the midst of offering an olive branch and crafting a long-term solution to the occupation of Palestine by apartheid Israel.…

Aimeè Stollie from Môrester Akademie has been selected as the top student of SEAmester 2024 after returning from a ten-day voyage aboard the SA Agulhas II as part of SEAmester VII – South Africa’s Class Afloat programme. Education MEC David Maynier said he recently met two Western Cape Grade 12 learners, Aimeè and Akhona Zondo, on board the SA Agulhas II. They were joined on the trip by Dr Mariëtte Wheeler, a National Teaching Award winner in 2021, finalist for the Varkey Foundations’ 2023 Global Teacher Prize, and now curriculum planner for Marine Sciences and the Agricultural subjects in the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). “I am thrilled to share that on the final evening of the voyage, Aimeè was selected as the top student of SEAmester 2024. She is…

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has introduced a controversial gender-responsive pedagogy for early childhood education, known as the “ECE toolkit”. According to the DBE, the toolkit intends to support African early childhood educators and school leaders to foster a gender-responsive and play-based learning environment. Proponents of the toolkit argue that it fosters a more equitable learning environment to better support children. However, critics have slammed the toolkit as indoctrinating young children with confusing gender ideology without their parents’ knowledge. The toolkit is the result of a collaboration between the DBE, the VVOB – Education for Development, and the Institute for Life Course Health Research (ILCHR) from Stellenbosch University. The VVOB, known as the Flemish Association for Development Corporation and Technical Assistance, aims to develop and strengthen inclusive, gender-responsive learning…

Thousands of Bangladeshi protesters demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resign clashed with government supporters yesterday, with dozens killed in one of the deadliest days since demonstrations began. Rallies that began last month against civil service job quotas have escalated into some of the worst unrest of Hasina’s 15-year rule and shifted into wider calls for the 76-year-old to step down. At least 37 people were killed yesterday alone, the rival sides battling with sticks and knives and security forces firing rifles, taking the total killed since protests began in July to at least 243. However, soldiers and police in several cases did not intervene to stem the protests, unlike the past month of rallies that repeatedly ended in deadly crackdowns. A respected former army chief also demanded that the government…

Two of the Russian dissidents freed from prison and who arrived in Germany as part of last week’s major East-West prisoner swop, say they are already thinking about returning to Russia, but vow to continue political activism even from abroad. The swop saw eight Russians, including a convicted murderer, returned home from Western countries in exchange for 16 prisoners freed from Russian and Belarusian jails, many of them Russian dissidents alongside Americans like Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. “(Russian authorities) will not allow us to return, but we want to,” dissident Andrei Pivovarov said in Bonn at the weekend. Ilya Yashin was imprisoned in 2022 for criticising President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. “It’s emotionally difficult for me because I was set free at the price of setting free…

Rome: Italy’s coastguard said yesterday that two migrants died after they were rescued along with more than 30 others in the Mediterranean off the eastern coast of Sicily. The coastguard received a distress from a boat about 27km southeast of Syracuse carrying Syrian, Egyptian and Bangladeshi migrants. A patrol boat and plane were dispatched to the area, but “the occupants of the vessel ended up in the water as the patrol boat approached”, it said. Although 34 people were recovered from the water and transferred to Syracuse’s port, one died on arrival and another after reaching the hospital. | AFP…

ABUJA: Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu called for the suspension of nationwide protests and an end to “bloodshed” yesterday after security forces cracked down on rallies over economic hardship. Thousands of people began taking to the streets last week to protest government policies and the high cost of living. Rights group Amnesty International accused security forces of killing at least 13 demonstrators while police say seven people died and deny responsibility. Tinubu blamed organisers for failing to prevent disorder and outlined measures he said would benefit young Nigerians and the economy. | AFP…

THE latest report on the eThekwini Metro’s finances highlights persistent challenges, including high water and electricity losses, declining revenue collection, and incorrect meter readings that negatively impact the metro’s financial standing. As a result, the metro faces a ballooning consumer-debt problem that is growing by millions of rand every quarter, councillors said. On Thursday, they were briefed on the state of the City’s finances in the budget statement for the quarter ending June 30, 2024. In March, it was reported that consumer debt stood at R28 billion. Close to R20.7bn was owed by the city’s households and R6bn by the business sector. To assist defaulting consumers, the City reinstated the debt relief programme which expired recently. In June, it was reported that this had resulted in thousands of residents and…

AN IMMEDIATE moratorium on all administrative appointments, including those currently in process, will allow newly appointed Oudtshoorn mayor Johan Allers to review the organisational structure, the municipality said. Allers, representing the FF Plus, was elected mayor after working with other political parties to oust the DA’s Chris Macpherson. Allers, his deputy Mziwoxolo Tyatya and speaker Suzanne Jansen were elected during a special council meeting on August 1. “The new council has decided to impose an immediate moratorium on all administrative appointments, including those currently in process. “This pause will allow the newly appointed executive mayor, Allers, to review the organisational structure,” said the municipality. The local government change comes after a motion was tabled by the ANC, supported by the FF Plus and the Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa…

THE repeated headlines of the Cape Times surrounding racism at ex- model C schools (the most recent: “Parents not schools to blame”) direct attention in the wrong direction. The subject of racism and other prejudices must be taught at schools, just as other power relation issues like gender and religion need to be explored in classroom lessons. So often, the simplistic (black/white) approach to prejudice and power causes more harm and confusion, rather than clarity and solutions. Racial prejudice is not a white construct, it is a human construct to seek justification for establishing power relationships between individuals and groups. Racists are not black, white, coloured or Indian, but people who seek plausible justification to marginalise or dominate others for their own advantage. People who are scared, avaricious, insecure, selfish,…

THOUGHTS that Kamala Harris may pose a challenge to Donald Trump are not borne out by history. There are striking parallels between the state of the Democratic Party in the 1968 and 2024 presidential elections. In both instances their presiding presidents dropped out of the race: Lyndon Johnson, because of his unpopular stance on the Vietnam War. Joe Biden because of his cognitive capacity, among other reasons. In 1968, the Democrat establishment’s backing of Vice-President Hubert Humphrey did not enjoy popular support because he was pledged to continue Johnson’s war policy. In 2024, support for Vice-President Harris is wary because she is identified with Biden’s unpopular policies. In 1968, Humphrey did not win any of the primaries he contested, yet the establishment nominated him as its presidential candidate. Harris did…

About 90 undocumented Ethiopians, who were allegedly being kept against their will and under inhumane conditions in Sunnydale Ridge, Johannesburg, were rescued by the SAPS Special Task Force (STF) unit at the weekend. Police said a multidisciplinary team, led by the STF, were tracing a victim of kidnapping for ransom when they also discovered the undocumented nationals who were found locked up, confined and packed into rooms. Investigations were under way to determine how these nationals were trafficked into the country. National SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said among the Ethiopian nationals, was a kidnapped victim who was also rescued. “The victim was kidnapped in Benoni last Tuesday afternoon, whereupon his kidnappers immediately started demanding hundreds of thousands of ransom money from his family,” Mathe said. She said the…

RESIDENTS in Gugulethu and Mfuleni are hopeful that new police station heads will make an impact in their communities that are in the grip of violent crime. Provincial police commissioner Thembisile Patekile, joined by other top management officials, conferred ranks on newly appointed senior officers who included Brigadier Khuthala Masakala as the new Gugulethu station commander, Brigadier Tamsanqa Tito for the Mfuleni station, and Brigadier John Alexander to lead the Kraaifontein station. The appointments came into effect on August 1. Patekile said the appointments were in the interest of service delivery and concerted efforts to create safer communities. In statistics released in February for the third quarter, Mfuleni led as the murder hot spot in the province with 80 people slain and the second-highest nationally, while Gugulethu recorded 73 people…

KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is one of the leading crime hot spots in South Africa, plagued by violence and criminal activities that threaten the safety and security of its residents. Recent reports reveal a troubling trend of police shootings in the province, with 20 people losing their lives in gun battles with law enforcement officers in July alone. While addressing crime in KZN is crucial for the overall safety of the country, it is imperative that law enforcement agencies operate within the boundaries of the law and uphold the principles of justice and due process. Crime-ridden townships like uMlazi, Inanda, and parts of Pietermaritzburg have long been grappling with high levels of crime. In the fight against the scourge, it is essential that state organs prioritise KZN and implement a comprehensive strategy…

The gender tests conducted by the International Boxing Association (IBA) on two female fighters at last year’s world championships that led to their disqualification were illegitimate and lacked credibility, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said yesterday. Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s double world champion Lin Yu-ting were cleared to compete at the Paris Olympics despite having been disqualified during the 2023 World Championships after the IBA said they had failed a gender eligibility test. The IOC said the testing process at that event, which only came towards the end of the competition after the boxers had already fought several bouts, was completely arbitrary. “Those tests are not legitimate tests. The tests themselves, the process of the tests, the ad hoc nature of the tests are not legitimate,” IOC spokesperson…

PARIS: Paris Olympics organisers have cancelled yesterday’s swimming training session for the triathlon mixed relay event after recent heavy rain affected water quality levels in the Seine river. The decision was made late on Saturday after tests showed water quality did not meet the required threshold following rain on Wednesday and Thursday last week. The mixed relay race is scheduled for today. Pollution in the Seine after heavy rains caused the men’s race to be postponed for a day, after swimming practice sessions were cancelled two days in a row. “We are hopeful we can organise the competition tomorrow,” Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps said yesterday. | Reuters…

The Hague: A statue of Anne Frank, famous for her diary account of hiding from the Nazis during World War II, has been covered with pro-Palestinian graffiti, reports said yesterday. The base of the statue was spray-painted with the slogan “Free Gaza”, while the girl’s hands were painted with the same blood-red colour. Police have opened an investigation into the defacement, which likely occurred in the night from Saturday to yesterday, an Amsterdam police spokesperson said. No suspect had yet been identified. Anne Frank, who died aged 16 in a Nazi concentration camp in 1945, is an icon of the Dutch Jewish community. | AFP…

This weekend’s Rugby Championship opener between the Springboks and the Wallabies in Brisbane will present Elrigh Louw with a golden opportunity to climb up the ladder in the Bok No 8 position. The position is one of opportunity because Duane Vermeulen has retired, Jasper Wiese is suspended, Bulls prodigy Cameron Hanekom is injured, and so is Stormer Evan Roos. That leaves old warrior Kwagga Smith and fresh debutant Phepsi Buthelezi, but Erasmus has said he wants to give Louw a time to shine. Louw, now 24, debuted for the Boks in 2022 and has four caps to his name. However, Erasmus feels the Bull did not fully grasp his early opportunity but deserves another crack. “We want to see Elrigh against big teams. He was always in our plans but…

Eyebrows were raised when Stormers No 8 Evan Roos was left out of the Springboks’ 33-man squad for the Rugby Championship but it has emerged that he needs surgery on a long-time shoulder injury. Bok coach Rassie Erasmus said at the time of the shock omission, “I know what we have in Evan” but there was more to the non-selection than that. The 24-year-old Roos has been carrying a shoulder injury for some time and expert advice is that it should be taken care of before it deteriorates. One of Roos’ big rivals for the No 8 jersey, Elrigh Louw of the Bulls, will be given a chance in the position over the next fortnight of Test matches between the Boks and the Wallabies in Australia. It will hurt Roos…