Table of contents for 2024-09-13 in Cape Times

MAST ENERGY, the UK subsidiary of JSE listed Kibo Energy, raised revenue from its first refurbished generating set at Pyebridge by 16%, to £66 000 (R1.5 million) in July, after factoring in additional revenue. Before factoring in additional revenue as a result of reduced electricity losses through the transmission system, revenue for the month under review was previously stated at £57 000. “We are very pleased with the ongoing performance of Pyebridge’s first 2.7MW refurbished genset. Not only have we seen a 16% increase in July’s final revenue tally, we have also seen a marked improvement in the gross profit margin and market out-performance. “We expect Pyebridge’s performance to improve as we grow the generating capacity,” said Pieter Krügel, the CEO for Mast Energy, yesterday. Mast Energy…

After 77 years, Nestlé East and Southern Africa Region (Esar) has decided to sell the Nestlé Cremora business to Lactalis South Africa, pending regulatory approval, as part of its strategic realignment of its operations following a meticulous evaluation process. The value of the transaction was not disclosed. Nestlé Cremora is a beloved creamer brand that has been a staple in South African households for more than 77 years, widely cherished by coffee and tea drinkers. The multinational food and drink processing conglomerate replaced CEO Mark Schneider with Laurent Freixe in a bid to focus on food sales again after Schneider’s experimental bets saw it missing sales expectations for multiple quarters, with investors fearing it might soon drop its profitability targets. Nestlé yesterday said the disposal of Cremora reaffirmed its Esar…

The DA-led provincial government came under fire for prioritising crime fighting rather than ensuring there was enough money to employ the more than 2 000 teachers who face unemployment when their contracts expire by the end of the year. The matter was debated in the provincial legislature yesterday. GOOD Party’s secretary-general, Brett Herron, said that the provincial government’s choice reflected its values and aspirations. “That’s despite the facts that dealing with crime is a national government competency, and the province’s expensive dabbling to date has borne no fruit. “But the province doesn’t want to own its choice. It can’t admit that teachers’ jobs must pay for the theatre of its provincial security force, so it falsely blames unanticipated public sector wage increases for its shortage of money. “The disconnect…

The ANC in the Western Cape says former member and councillor in the Matzikama Local Municipality, Jan Koopman’s move to the DA is motivated by “personal interests” and “financial guarantees”. Koopman resigned from the party yesterday “after careful consideration of what the DA has set out to do in Matzikama that his personal values and aspirations for his community are aligned with the DA’s beliefs and objectives”, said DA provincial leader Tertuis Simmers said. “Koopman resigned both his membership of the ANC and from his position as a councillor, as he is no longer willing to be part of ANC efforts to obstruct the progress that the municipality is making. “The DA in Matzikama welcomes councillor Koopman as a pioneer for his community. “Since the DA-led coalition took over two…

Bethlehem: A Celebration of Palestinian Food Fadi Kattan Hardie Grant North America FADI Kattan is a Franco-Palestinian who divides his time between running a restaurant called Fawda in Bethlehem and another named Akub in London. Any book written these days about life in Bethlehem, where Kattan's heritage dates back generations, is bound to be tied up to the current political situation. His book not only pays homage to his Palestinian heritage but is a deeply evocative and moving memoir of a way of life that has unravelled due to the effects of the ongoing occupation of Bethlehem and other Palestinian towns and the onset of the war in Gaza. There is a word in Arab for the resilience needed when dealing with loss and tragedy – it is “sumood,” and…

Breaking Bread Jonathan Jansen Loot.co.za (R220) Jonathan Ball IN HIS columns, books and on social media, Jonathan Jansen is prolific and he likes to speak his mind about schools and universities, race, politics and our complex South African society. He has brought an incisive analysis, compassion and sense of humour to some of the most controversial issues in our country for many years. And now, in this memoir, he goes back to his early years growing up in a loving, fiercely evangelical family on the Cape Flats, being put on the road to purpose by an inspiring schoolteacher and becoming the first of his generation to go to university under the apartheid regime. Journey with Jansen as he finds a passion for teaching high school and becomes a leading academic…

The All Blacks made an intriguing decision to host some of their training sessions in Cape Town last week at the Athlone Stadium. It is mainly a soccer venue these days, but it was also the home of Saru (SA Rugby Union) non-racial rugby during the 1970s and 1980s. So, the rich rugby heritage was extended by the All Blacks opting to train there for last Saturday’s Rugby Championship showdown with the Springboks at the Cape Town Stadium. The decision to practise there wasn’t publicised, and none of the few fans present were allowed inside – but the Kiwis received a warm welcome at the Cape Town International Airport, and had lots of supporters looking for photos and autographs at their Newlands hotel. But Siya Kolisi’s Springboks have made great…

An Irish regulator helping to police EU data privacy launched an investigation yesterday into Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) development. The inquiry comes as the EU and other major regulators around the world crack down on big tech over a raft of issues including taxation, competition and disinformation. The EU has also adopted the world’s first sweeping rules to govern AI, which came into force in August. “The Data Protection Commission (DPC) today announced that it has commenced a cross-border statutory inquiry into Google Ireland,” where the US tech giant has its European headquarters. The probe will look into the “development of its foundational AI model”, the DPC said in a statement. The rise of AI has fuelled excitement about its potential, with chatbots that show humanlike ability to answer questions…

MADRID: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez yesterday met Venezuela’s fugitive opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez in Madrid, a day after the lower house of Spain’s parliament voted to recognise Gonzalez as the winner of a presidential election in July. Gonzalez, 75, who is wanted by Venezuelan authorities on charges of conspiracy and other crimes, took refuge in Spain on Sunday while Sanchez was visiting China. The Venezuelan opposition has published vote tallies from the election in July and said Gonzalez won. But the national election board declared incumbent President Nicolas Maduro the victor. He has shrugged off criticism as a right-wing plot. | Reuters…

NEW ORLEANS: Storm Francine barrelled across the US South yesterday, pounding the region with heavy rains and gusty winds while causing widespread power outages. It had weakened from a Category 2 hurricane to a tropical depression as it moved north-eastward over central Mississippi, but still packed winds of 55km/h and threatened areas with dangerous storm surges yesterday, the National Hurricane Center said. Heavy rains were expected in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida panhandle. The storm left more than 400 000 homes and businesses without power, and dozens of people had to be rescued from floodwaters across the three-state region. | Reuters…

Stellenbosch FC will be high on confidence following their debut CAF Confederation Cup first-round triumph, and they are primed to get past DR Congo side AS Vita Club tonight at Cape Town Stadium (7pm kick-off). The Carling Cup winners eased past Nsingizini Hotspurs in the first preliminary round 8-0 on aggregate, and a much tougher encounter awaits against an AS Vita side that won the Congolese League One just two seasons ago. Steve Barker’s team are also no strangers to the top of the table after having pushed Orlando Pirates all the way for the second-place finish that they narrowly missed out on in the final games of the Premiership campaign. They finished third to qualify for the Confederation Cup, and in the end the amount of matches took its…

IN A wide-ranging and open interview, Rayhaan Survé, the deputy chairman of Sekunjalo Investment Holdings (SIH) and the Survé Family Office, expressed his opinions on the future of the country's economy, the part BRICS will play in the development of the nation, and the difficulties the youth of South Africa face in a changing employment environment. Survé, who oversees the Group’s investment portfolio with a particular focus on technology, biosciences, and sustainability, provided insightful analysis on the country’s economic future, sustainability, and the possibilities of digital transformation to change the terrain. With rates around 60%, youth unemployment is one of the most urgent issues South Africa faces. Survé suggested digital transformation as a way South Africa could encourage the youth to be entrepreneurs. “Covid knocked us hard, and we are…

A STANDOUT financial performance by FirstRand in the second half of the year to June 30 enabled it to grow normalised earnings by 4% as well as absorb a R3 billion provision raised for a UK Financial Conduct Authority review of UK motor commissions, CEO Mary Vilakazi said yesterday. The investigation relates to whether consumers in the UK were overcharged on vehicle loans due to the open commission model by motor dealers between the years 2007 and 2021. In the UK, FirstRand owns Aldermore, a UK specialist lender, which includes MotoNovo, a vehicle finance business. Vilakazi said in an interview that the UK’s FCA was at this stage of their investigation awaiting the outcome of some related court cases, before concluding its review, and she expected the investigation might…

DA leader John Steenhuisen failed to convince his coalition partner President Cyril Ramaphosa not to sign the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill into law today. He confirmed meeting Ramaphosa on Wednesday to highlight his party’s concerns which include that the bill compromises the rights of children to mother-tongue education. Speaking at the Cape Town Press Club on Thursday, Steenhuisen said: “That is why I met the president on Bela (Bill) yesterday (Wednesday).” “I really hope that we can find a common way forward, but if the president goes ahead tomorrow, the DA will have to consider all of our options on the way forward,” Steenhuisen said. By signing the bill into law, Steenhuisen said Ramaphosa would be violating the letter and spirit of their Government of National Unity statement…

Two former Zondo Commission evidence leaders to assist with probes without security clearances THE National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA’s) Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) has refused to disclose how much senior advocates Paul Pretorius and Matthew Chaskalson, appointed as consultants, will cost the public purse. It has also emerged that the two former evidence leaders to the Zondo Commission, who will assist with “specialised aspects” relating to the investigation and prosecution of “complex crimes”, have not obtained security clearance certificates. Their appointment was thrust into the spotlight after a source told this publication that it was part of an attempt to allegedly capture the NPA. Questions were also asked about whether these could not be the responsibility of permanently employed staff. The matter once again came up in the National Assembly…

THE month of September is an important period on our national calendar in that it is dedicated and set aside to commemorate the country’s heritage. Not only this, but it is also a crucial period for reflection, to take stock of the journey we have travelled as a nation, one born out of a political milieu in which one race of men superimposed itself over another through a dehumanising process of colonisation, imperialism and later apartheid. All of these oppressive systems were intentionally designed to produce the asymmetries that our society is suffering from today. To understand the history of race and racism in South Africa is to understand the genesis of pseudo race “scientific” theories that were perfected in museums through the acquisition of skeletal remains and anthropological displays,…

WESTERN Cape police commissioner Thembisile Patekile has hailed the Anti-Gang Unit for a “sterling investigation” which resulted in the conviction and sentencing of Enrico Slawers to 57 years for killing three people. This comes after he entered into a plea agreement with the State on Wednesday. The Bishop Lavis Magistrate’s Court sentenced him to 15 years’ imprisonment for each murder, 10 years for the illegal possession of a firearm and two years for the illegal possession of ammunition. Detailing the incident, police spokesperson Anelisiwe Manyana said: “Initial reports reveal that on November 30, 2022, at approximately 9pm, the victims were sitting at a premises in Bishop Lavis when an unknown man walked up to them and randomly fired shots in their direction. “All three victims sustained multiple gunshot wounds and…

Medical thrillers always make for great reads, and Single Minded by Marina Auer is no exception. Since September is Heritage Month, we’ve decided to keep things local by focusing on South African authors – Auer’s thriller is a timely pick. Based on her own experience during an internship at Eden State Hospital outside Pietermaritzburg, Single Minded offers a suspenseful look into a life of a crumbling state hospital in South Africa. She says the novel is loosely based on her experiences – rats in the beds and a dent in the roof where a patient jumped from the window. These may sound surreal, but in her acknowledgements Auer mentions how difficult it was to keep real-life anecdotes to a minimum, instead focusing on those that served the storyline. She brings…

Desperation breeds division, and populist leaders seize on this desperation AS SOUTH Africa marks 30 years of democracy, there’s no doubt that we’ve come a long way. This year’s election marks a significant shift in South African politics: the once-dominant ANC has lost its majority, and a Government of National Unity now holds the reins. While this coalition comes with its fair share of uncertainty, there’s also a sense of cautious optimism. Maybe – just maybe – we’re on the brink of something better. But beneath this optimism, it’s crucial to acknowledge that our democracy is far from secure. Varieties of Democracy, a global research organisation measuring democratic quality, recently called South Africa a “near miss of autocracy.” The knee-jerk reaction might be: “Us? An autocracy? But we vote!” Yes,…

Rich countries have several hundred million doses of vaccines that could help fight an mpox outbreak in Africa, where donated shots fall far short of what is needed, according to a Reuters tally of public statements, documents and estimates from non-governmental organisations. The shots have been stockpiled for years by countries such as Japan, the US and Canada in case smallpox, an eradicated disease that is the more dangerous cousin of mpox, ever makes a comeback. Some of the vaccines were used outside of Africa in 2022 when mpox spread globally. A small fraction of those doses could help curb what is now the biggest mpox outbreak on record in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring countries, disease experts say. Fewer than 4 million doses have been pledged for…

German authorities said yesterday that they had banned an Islamic centre in Brandenburg, the state that surrounds Berlin, over its alleged links to the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Searches were carried out at the Islamic Centre Fuerstenwalde al-Salam (IZF) and at homes in Brandenburg and Berlin yesterday, the state interior ministry said. It offered a range of activities for Muslims as well as running the local al-Salam mosque. “The Islamic Centre Fuerstenwalde is associated with the Islamist terrorist group Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood,” state interior minister Michael Stuebgen said. “The organisation acts against the free democratic order, spreads anti-Semitic narratives and denies Israel’s right to exist. We cannot accept that.” Germany considers Hamas a terrorist organisation, and the state ministry said it also considered the Egyptian-born Muslim Brotherhood…

Seoul: South Korea approved the construction of two nuclear reactors on its east coast yesterday, reversing a previous administration’s anti-nuclear policy as Seoul works to expand its atomic energy capability. The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission approved permits to build the Shin Hanul 3 and 4 reactors after it “confirmed the safety” of the project in southeast Uljin city. “No factors have been found at the reactor construction site that could cause geological disasters such as subsidence or ground collapse,” it said. Each reactor will have a capacity of 1.4 gigawatts, and they are scheduled to be built by 2033. | AFP…

Stockholm: Sweden’s government said yesterday it would drastically increase grants for immigrants who choose to leave the country and return home, to encourage more migrants to do so. As of 2026, immigrants who voluntarily return to their home countries would be eligible to receive up to 350 000 Swedish kronor ($34 000), the right-wing government said. Currently immigrants can receive up to 10 000 kronor per adult and 5 000 kronor per child, with a cap of 40 000 kronor per family. Sweden has taken in a large number of migrants since the 1990s, mostly from the former Yugoslavia, Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran and Iraq. | AFP…

AUDITOR-GENERAL (A-G) Tsakani Maluleke has emphasised the need for municipalities to adopt effective financial management strategies during her address at the National Press Club breakfast meeting yesterday. Marking five years since her office received enhanced powers, Maluleke stressed the importance of leveraging limited resources efficiently. She advised communities to ensure assets deliver services and infrastructure projects were cost-effective. Maluleke also highlighted the need for robust controls to prevent recurrent issues and protect resources from being lost. By doing so, she said, municipalities can prevent further losses and optimise financial management. In 2019, Maluleke was given a mandate that goes beyond auditing by Parliament and was required to expand the A-G’s office participation in government accountability processes. The overall aim of the A-G’s expanded mandate is to instil a culture of…

Opposition parties in the City council have called on the DA to “clean its house” following the court appearance of tender fraud-accused Malusi Booi and nine others in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court this week. Booi is expected to return to the dock again today alongside Suraya Manuel, Abdul Kader, Mohammad Amod, Randal Mullins, Brenda Mullins, Thuli Imbgi, Nomvuyo Mnyaka, Lorna Ndoda and Siphokazi September. They face racketeering and fraud charges for allegedly having colluded with alleged 28s gang boss Ralph Stanfield and his wife Nicole Johnson’s enterprise and allegedly defrauding the City of R850 million in tenders. ANC regional spokesperson Akhona Jonginamba said the arrest underscored the urgent need for accountability within the City of Cape Town. “The ANC firmly believes that no individual, regardless of their position, is…

IN THE past two weeks, 14 alleged extortionists were shot and killed when they went ‘toe-to-toe’ with police in various provinces. From April 2023 to August 31, 2024, 319 cases of extortion were reported at police stations. The Western Cape registered the highest number with 119 cases, followed by 82 in the Eastern Cape, 63 in KwaZulu-Natal and 31 in Gauteng. Of these cases, police were able to arrest 151 people linked to the crime. The Western Cape recorded 69 arrests, the Eastern Cape 24, Gauteng 23 and KwaZulu-Natal 20. National police commissioner Fannie Masemola said they were cracking the whip, “fetching each of these extortionists one by one”. He attributed the inroads to an extortion action plan they had developed throughout the country. Masemola, along with Hawks…

The Baby boat Karen Cross Loot.co.za (R 205) Rockhopper I recently finished reading The Baby Boat by Karen Cross, and it left an impression on me. As someone with a keen interest in travel – particularly after having worked in the industry – the idea of sailing around the world naturally appealed, even though I wouldn’t call myself a natural adventurer. Stories of exploration have always fascinated me, and so has Karen’s journey. Karen and her husband John’s decision to circumnavigate the globe in a modest 25-foot yacht during the 1970s immediately captured my attention. Undertaking such a voyage at a time when technology and navigation were less advanced than today is a testament to their courage and determination. The book is about the strength to pursue one’s dreams, and…

Twice The Glory Lloyd Burnard, Khanyiso Tshwaku Loot.co.za (R229) Jonathan Ball The Springboks made history in France in 2023 when they became the only team to win back-to-back rugby world cups. Who can forget how the Boks won by only one point in three games? Released on the anniversary of this milestone, Twice the Glory, by Lloyd Burnard and Khanyiso Tshwaku, investigates how the remarkable victory was achieved. A recurring theme is the relationship between Jacques Nienaber and Rassie Erasmus, one that goes all the way back to their university days, how it developed and how, when watching the Boks play against Ireland in 2017, they decided to come back to South Africa to “turn things around”. Nienaber is famously self-effacing but in a dedicated chapter and interview, the authors…

I refer to your article in Wednesday’s Cape Times E-edition. The statement made by Mr Polela (Road Accident Fund spokesperson) cannot go unchallenged. The RAF’s dire situation cannot be laid at the door of attorneys. Occurrences like the one spotlighted by the article make out that about 4% of all claims are handled by attorneys. The whole attorney and litigation problem is a making of the RAF itself. For more than two decades, the RAF adopted a policy of not settling claims unless summons was issued and a trial date allocated. Less than 1% of these claims were litigated, while 99% were settled on the steps of the court. In this way the RAF, over the past two decades, wasted about R48 billion on unnecessary litigation. The RAF Act contains…

A pioneering private crew made history yesterday by becoming the first civilians to perform spacewalks, as Nasa hailed “a giant leap forward” for the commercial space industry. The SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission, led by fintech billionaire Jared Isaacman, launched early on Tuesday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, journeying deeper into the cosmos than any humans in half a century, since the Apollo programme. With the four-member crew’s Dragon spacecraft adjusted to an orbit with a high of 700km, pure oxygen began flowing into their suits yesterday morning, marking the official start of their extravehicular activity. A short time later, Isaacman swung open the hatch and climbed through, gripping the hand and footholds of a structure known as “Skywalker”, as a breathtaking view of Earth unfolded below him. “It’s…

The World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday it had carried out a rare evacuation of 97 people – around half of them children – from Gaza to the United Arab Emirates for medical treatment, and urged the resumption of regular such transfers. The Israel-Hamas conflict has decimated Gaza’s health system and only 17 of 36 hospitals are currently partially functioning, the WHO estimates. The main Rafah crossing for medical transfers out of Gaza to Egypt has been shut since May when Israel ramped up its military campaign in southern Gaza. “This was the largest evacuation yet from Gaza since October 2023,” said Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative for the occupied Palestinian territory. The patients included people suffering from cancer, blood and kidney diseases and trauma, he said. They were evacuated by…

LONDON: Grangemouth, Scotland’s only oil refinery, is to close in 2025 with the loss of 400 jobs, operator Petroineos said yesterday, as part of plans to turn the 100-year old Grangemouth site into a fuels import terminal. Petroineos said last November it was preparing to shut Grangemouth, Britain’s oldest refinery. Production will cease at the refinery in the second quarter of next year, subject to an employee consultation, a company spokesperson said. The site will become an import and distribution terminal for finished fuels, which will cut the number of employees at the site from 475 to around 75 over two years. Petroineos cited economic difficulties. | Reuters…

JAKARTA: Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was from yesterday to spend the final weeks of his term in the country’s planned new capital, Nusantara, amid doubts about the continued pace of development of his $32 billion megaproject. The massive project on the island of Borneo has suffered setbacks, including construction delays, land issues and a lack of foreign investment. In June the two top officials overseeing Nusantara resigned. “It could take 10, 15, or even 20 years,” Jokowi said. Intended to ease the burden on the congested, polluted current capital Jakarta, the parliament passed a law to move its capital in 2022. Jokowi said that president-elect Prabowo Subianto had promised to speed up construction. | Reuters…