Table of contents for 2024-11-04 in Cape Times

South Africa’s economy is limping, public services and workers are struggling. Cosatu and workers had expected much more from the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement tabled at Parliament on Wednesday. The Budget is government’s most strategic tool and needs to be used far more strategically to stimulate growth, slash unemployment and rebuild the state. Cosatu’s disappointment is that it was a business-as-usual budget statement with little new to tackle our many socio-economic challenges. Our number one crisis is our staggering unemployment rate of 42.6%. We are in danger of creating a class of the permanent unemployed with a youth unemployment rate of 70%. All our socio-economic challenges cascade from this, be it poverty, inequality, crime, disease, homelessness. Public services cannot cope when so many cannot find work. Whilst we appreciate that…

AT LEAST 225 illegal miners resurfaced from an old mining shaft in Orkney, North West, due to starvation and dehydration, say police. The Acting National Commissioner of the SAPS, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, commended the Vala Umgodi task teams in the North West for asserting the authority of the state. Sibiya stated that these 225 miners, along with an additional 340, are part of a larger group believed to be hundreds, if not a thousand, who are trapped underground without food, water, or necessities because the Vala Umgodi teams, led by SAPS and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), are blocking routes used to deliver supplies. Last week, SAPS and SANDF members prevented communities around the abandoned mining shafts in Orkney from delivering food parcels and water to these…

Council decision comes amid claims that vice-chancellor and Council chairperson altered Wilgenhof report THE Stellenbosch University Council has resolved that an independent expert must investigate allegations of improper interference in the findings of the Wilgenhof Panel report. Council met and made the decision on Friday following recent claims in Chancellor Edwin Cameron’s affidavit that Vice-Chancellor Professor Wim de Villiers and Council chairperson Dr Nicky Newton-King changed the report, which recommended the closure of the controversial Wilgenhof residence. A three-member independent panel chaired by advocate Nick de Jager was tasked with investigating the contents found during an audit of the spaces and amenities of the men’s residence and to report to the rectorate on its findings and recommendations. The residence’s closure is also the subject of a court application by the…

DR ROSS'S letter "Palestinians are aliens in their own land" (October 28), deserves a response. Besides being bigoted and tendentious in the extreme regarding Jews needing a homeland after the decimation of 2/3 of Europe's Jewry in the last two years of the war, no mention is made of this. Why can't a colonial power decide to give a land mass the size of Kruger National Park to a new Jewish state? The West Bank and Gaza was never part of Israel, but was occupied because of successive attacks from its soil on Israel, with the intention to obliterate it altogether. There are now 2 million Arab Israelis who have equal rights as they decided to stay and build up the country. The Palestinians were offered a two-state solution many…

THE City has proposed amendments to its By-Law Relating to Streets, Public Places and the Prevention of Noise Nuisances which the municipality said would reflect the strategy of offering transitional shelter to help people off the streets, in partnership with the NPO sector. This follows the eviction of occupants at the Castle of Good Hope site on Friday morning under the direction of the Sheriff of the Court, with the assistance of the SAPS and metro police. The City said social development professionals assisted the national Department of Public Works and Infrastructure by documenting the personal circumstances of the unlawful occupants via on-site interviews. Offers of transitional shelter at City Safe Spaces and NGO-run night shelters were made. Safe Spaces offer social programmes to assist people off the streets, reintegrate…

Enforcement and emergency services will be on high alert for the incidents of assault, stoning of vehicles and mob attacks that remain synonymous with Guy Fawkes day in parts of Cape Town. The City warned the public to toe the line ahead of Guy Fawkes day tomorrow, both in terms of illegal fireworks, and the traditions associated with the day and that remain prevalent in pockets of the metropole. Fireworks-related incidents have shown a decline over the past few years. Between November 3 - 5, 2022, the City recorded 325 incidents of setting off of fireworks and 78 incidents of selling fireworks. In 2023, the City recorded 225 and 40 incidents of setting off and selling fireworks respectively. “We have seen very encouraging signs in recent years of a downturn…

By 2050 sub-Saharan Africa will need to create 72.6 million new jobs BY 2050, one in three young people worldwide will be of African origin, according to the “2024 Global Youth Employment Trends” report by the International Labour Organization (ILO). This significant demographic shift positions African youth as key drivers in shaping global consumption, culture, and stability. However, this transformative potential is threatened by a lack of job opportunities across the continent. According to estimations, by then sub-Saharan Africa will need to create 72.6 million new jobs to accommodate the young people entering the labour market. This scenario poses a critical challenge, as youth unemployment remains alarmingly high across the continent. If unaddressed, the ILO warns of a potential “youth earthquake”, where frustration and joblessness could spark widespread social movements,…

Iran’s leadership and allies are bracing for what they would regard as a dreadful outcome of the imminent US presidential election: A return to power of Donald Trump. Opinion polls suggest the Republican Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris remain locked in a close contest. But Iranian leaders and their regional allies in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen are concerned that Trump could well triumph tomorrow and this could spell more trouble for them. Iran’s main concern is the potential for Trump to empower Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike Iran’s nuclear sites, conduct targeted assassinations and reimpose his “maximum pressure policy” through heightened sanctions on their oil industry, according to Iranian, Arab and Western officials. They anticipate that Trump, who was president in 2017-21, will exert utmost pressure…

Israeli forces stepped up bombardment of the Gaza Strip yesterday killing at least 23 people, Palestinian medics said, with over half the deaths in northern areas where the army has waged a month-long campaign it says is to prevent Hamas from regrouping. Palestinians said the new aerial and ground offensives and forced evacuations were “ethnic cleansing” aimed at emptying two north Gaza towns and a camp of their populations to create buffer zones. Israel denies this, saying it is fighting Hamas militants who launch attacks from there. Medics said at least 13 Palestinians were killed in separate attacks on houses in Beit Lahiya town and Jabalia, the largest of the enclave’s eight historic refugee camps and the focus of the army’s new military offensive. The rest were killed in separate…

Kampala: At least 14 people, including several children, were killed in a Ugandan refugee camp when lightning hit a makeshift church where they were sheltering, local officials said yesterday. Around 50 people took shelter in the church in Palabek refugee camp in northern Uganda on Saturday when a heavy storm hit the area. Fourteen people died when lightning hit its metal roof, including five girls and nine boys aged between 14 and 18, said William Komech, resident district commissioner for Lamwo region. The refugees were mostly from the Nuer community of South Sudan. Uganda has suffered several lightning-related deaths in recent years. | AFP…

Dhaka: Indian conglomerate Adani has halved its electricity supply to Bangladesh due to approximately $850 million in unpaid bills, according to power officials. The state-run Bangladesh Power Development Board is working to address the shortfall through alternative plants. Adani’s Godda plant typically provides 7-10% of Bangladesh’s 13 GW baseload power demand. The company warned Dhaka in September to settle outstanding payments. Bangladesh, struggling with foreign currency availability, paid $97 million in October. The Godda plant is supplying 724 megawatts (MW), against its 1 496 MW capacity, while Bangladesh faces 1 680 MW of load shedding. | AFP…

DR SOOLIMAN is in the news today because of his heroic stand against genocide. A distinguished caregiver whose name is embedded in global humanitarian circles. Dr Imtiaz Sooliman was chosen as a person of the year a few years ago. This humble and dedicated doctor is undoubtedly a South African hero of international stature. For centuries doctors have been held as heroes who heal disease, alleviate pain and save precious lives, and traditionally have been paid handsomely to do so. Dr Sooliman chose to give back to humanity on a global scale that has stretched across international frontiers. His stupendous contributions during the deadly Covid-19 struggle are truly breathtaking. His organisation, which he founded in 1992, The Gift Of The Givers, has delivered aid worth more than R300 million in…

GILLIAN Schutte’s article (October 31) was inaccurate and partisan. Firstly, it is incorrect and misleading to suggest that the DA is attempting to recognise Ukraine over Russia. What they are, in fact, trying to do is level the playing field by allowing Ukraine a voice of equal footing to that which Russia enjoys in SA. The GNU is not “aligned” to either of them...recognition of Russia’s supporting role in the liberation of SA will always be respected. Furthermore, allowing Ukraine a bigger voice in SA takes nothing away from the BRICS initiative in forming a new trading block representing almost half of the world's population. It is mischievous to suggest that, somehow, Ukraine is a threat to BRICS. What a fairytale! Finally, it is a fabrication that only African…

The Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg this week recognised property as a family home, and thus protected the rights of a family who was facing possible eviction. Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR), who turned to court on behalf of the Dhlamini family, was granted a landmark order recognising its client’s property in Soweto as a family home. This decision provides critical protection to the Dhlamini family, preventing their eviction and affirming their right to remain on a property they have considered home for generations, Louise du Plessis, head of the land and housing programme at LHR said. The judgment follows an extensive legal application by LHR on behalf of the Dhlamini family, challenging an eviction order issued in 2014 by the property’s current registered owner, and contesting the sole ownership transfer.…

A 10-year-old girl has died after being rushed to the Alexandra Community Health Centre emergency unit Saturday night, following a suspected foodborne illness. The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) said the girl’s 38-year-old mother and her four-year-old brother from Alexandra in Johannesburg are currently receiving treatment at Edenvale Hospital. “Both patients are in a stable condition and under medical care,” the department said. “Further reports are awaited on the cause of the sudden illness and death.” The department extended its condolences to the family and said government was concerned about the rising incidents of foodborne illnesses, particularly those affecting children. The latest incident follows the deaths of six Naledi children which Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi told the media last week was due to a chemical known as organophosphate. There has…

THE South African government needs a paradigm shift that makes “Thinking digital first” a culture and tradition of government. Our people expect a government that provides services fast. It is unacceptable that our people still have to stand in long queues in government buildings for almost all government services and spend endless hours filing paperwork and taking government workers away from the more important tasks of analysing and preparing data for decision making. Some of the service conveniences that citizens want are online payments, digital permits, digital applications and approvals. A digitisation of government services will ensure the government focuses on critical work of collecting and collating data and identifying gaps in order to improve services. The government is lagging behind its own citizens on digitisation. Citizens already do most…

Pakistan’s second city of Lahore will close primary schools for a week over record pollution, government authorities said yesterday, to avoid exposing millions of children to smog several times above levels deemed dangerous. For days, the city of 14 million people has been enveloped by smog, a mix of fog and pollutants caused by low-grade diesel fumes, smoke from seasonal agricultural burning and winter cooling. The air quality index, which measures a range of pollutants, exceeded 1 000 on Saturday – well above the level of 300 considered “dangerous” – according to data from IQAir. The Punjab government also recorded peaks of over 1 000 yesterday, which it considered “unprecedented”. “Weather forecast for the next six days shows that wind patterns will remain the same. Therefore, we are closing all…

North Korean state media released a white paper yesterday accusing South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol of exposing his country to the danger of nuclear war through his policies toward the North. The document, compiled by North Korea’s Institute of Enemy State Studies, criticised Yoon’s “reckless remarks” abandoning elements of an inter-Korean agreement, engaging in nuclear war planning with the US and seeking closer ties with Japan and Nato. Yoon, a conservative, has taken a hard line on North Korea, which has forged ahead with developing its arsenal of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions. Pyongyang has been taking steps to sever inter-Korean ties, redefining the South as a separate, hostile enemy state, since Kim Jong Un declared it a “primary foe” early…

Prague: A top Slovak mountaineer died on a descent of the 7 234-metre Langtang Lirung peak in Nepal after an historic ascent up its east face, Slovakia’s climbers association said. Ondrej Huserka, a member of the Slovak national mountaineering teams, fell into a crevasse on Thursday. His Czech climbing partner Marek Holecek said that the pair had just completed the first ascent of the Langtang Lirung peak. Holecek said Huserka had “hit an angled surface, then continued down a labyrinth into the depths of the glacier”. Holecek added that he had spent hours trying to rescue Huserka but failed as the Slovak was trapped head down and paralysed. | AFP…

London: UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy yesterday vowed a “new approach” with Africa that will “listen, rather than tell” as he began a visit to Nigeria and South Africa. “Our new approach will deliver respectful partnerships that listen, rather than tell, deliver long-term growth rather than short-term solutions and build a freer, safer, more prosperous continent,” he said. “I want to hear what our African partners need and foster relationships so that the UK and our friends and partners in Africa can grow together.” Lammy said that economic growth would “underpin our relationships in Nigeria, South Africa and beyond”. In South Africa, Lammy will attend the Earthshot+ environmental conference in Cape Town. | AFP…

Proteas Test coach Shukri Conrad may be gleaming about the state of his current top six after their superlative efforts in the recent 2-0 series win over Bangladesh, but he will be concerned about the batters’ efforts in the first round of the Division 1 CSA 4-Day Series the past weekend. Although defending champions, the Lions only start their first-class campaign tomorrow at the Wanderers in a rematch of the T20 Challenge final, there were three matches played around the country. There were 12 innings overall but not a single batter managed an individual century. Warriors opener Jordan Hermann produced the top score of the weekend with 99 off 184 balls (14x4), but was unfortunately dismissed for a duck in the second innings. Warriors debutant and former Wynberg Boys’ High…

THE signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Maintenance Online Listing of Defaulters Project has been welcomed as a move to close the gap between maintenance courts, service providers and the credit industry. Through the project, the Justice and Constitutional Development department will develop a system to facilitate the forwarding of the details of persons against whom child maintenance enforcement orders have been granted (maintenance defaulters) to a partner Credit Bureau who will in turn make this information available to all other credit bureaus and credit providers. The Department, the Social Justice Foundation and the Consumer Profile Bureau have come together to drive the initiative forward. Minister Thembi Simelane said they were “coming” for defaulters of maintenance court orders. “There is no doubt that the failure to pay maintenance…

AS AMERICANS make their choice in the presidential elections, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will not stop the long-standing support for Zionism, and the imperialist, capitalist oligarchy. Both candidates are “two sides of the same coin”. Critical issues and key topics such as the possibility of the US economy edging towards a recession, increase of mass job layoffs, the crumbling social services, foreign policy and international conflicts amongst other important topics that shape and have an impact on the working class, not only in America, but around the globe, were intentionally ignored in their campaign speeches. The speeches from Trump and Harris were focused more on pettiness, rabble-rousing inaccuracies and dirty politics. The entire political establishment in the US is thoroughly crafted to appease the funders, profit-driven corporates and the…

300g chicken breast fillet 2-3 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon noble sweet paprika 1-2 teaspoons fresh herbs (oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, sage), finely chopped Salt and pepper, freshly ground 1 tablespoon butter 1 small onion, diced 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped 500ml chicken stock 250g orecchiette pasta 75ml cream 50g Parmesan cheese, finely grated Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon 1 handful of fresh baby spinach 1 handful of fresh, chopped basil, to garnish Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Coat them in a tablespoon of olive oil, paprika, the chopped herbs, and season with salt and pepper. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in the Le Creuset 20cm Cast Iron Heart Casserole over a medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken breast strips in batches to the…

Equal leave for all parents has come under the judicial spotlight in the Constitutional Court in a matter in which sections of the country's employment laws are being challenged that permit four months of maternity leave to biological mothers only. As the law stands, fathers are only entitled to a 10-day paternity leave. The lower court has ruled that both parents are entitled to maternity leave. A year ago, Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, Deputy Judge President Roland Sutherland concluded that the provisions of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act regulating parental leave unfairly discriminate against various types of parents. Judge Sutherland concluded that the provisions of the Act regulating parental leave did offend against Sections 9 and 10 of the Constitution as they unfairly discriminate between mothers and fathers and…

THE withdrawal of corruption-related charges against former sports, arts and culture minister Zizi Kodwa adds to a list of high-profile state capture cases the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has not been able to successfully prosecute. That the reasons behind the NPA’s about turn on the Kodwa decision have not been made public further hampers its stated objective of transparency. In whose interest is it to keep the public in the dark about why the Shamila Batohi-led NPA suddenly withdrew the charges? Surely not the public’s? The NPA made the most of this case when it charged Kodwa, and his co-accused Jehan Mackay, re-affirming that they had a case to answer over allegations that he accepted bribes of R1.6 million from Mackay, an EOH executive, in exchange for securing contracts. It’s…

Moldovans were voting yesterday in a tense presidential election run-off that could decide whether the ex-Soviet country continues on a pro-European path or tilts back toward Russia’s influence. The election in the small nation sandwiched between war-torn Ukraine and the EU is taking place amid fears of Russian interference, and just two weeks after a referendum on joining the EU passed by a razor-thin margin. Pro-EU incumbent Maia Sandu scored 42.5% of the vote in the first round of the presidential election two weeks ago. Alexandr Stoianoglo, supported by the pro-Russian Socialists and who was fired as prosecutor general by Sandu last year, received 26%. But Stoianoglo has since gained the support of other defeated candidates and analysts are predicting a close battle, similar to Georgia’s vote last weekend, when…

LONDON: Thousands of people marched through central London yesterday demanding action on cleaning up Britain’s rivers and seas. Environmental activist and singer Feargal Sharkey and adventurer Bear Grylls were among those planning to join The March for Clean Water, which was backed by groups including Greenpeace, the Wildlife Trusts and British Rowing. Protesters are demanding reviews of water regulator Ofwat and the Environment Agency along with stricter enforcement for water companies who break existing pollution rules. River Action said that there were about 15 000 marchers, who were encouraged to wear blue and to bring a sample from a body of water close to their heart. | AFP…

KYIV: Russian air attacks on Kyiv damaged buildings, roads and power lines, the capital’s military administration reported yesterday. No injuries occurred in the multi-directional drone attack. Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv military administration, said all attack drones were destroyed in Russia’s second assault on Kyiv in two nights. Falling debris damaged entrances and windows of at least five buildings in the Shevchenkivskyi and Holosiivskyi districts, including a hostel and office building. Kyiv, its surrounding region and most of eastern Ukraine were under intermittent air raid alerts throughout the night. | Reuters…