Table of contents for 2024-12-09 in Cape Times

In the world of adult play and erotic toys, nothing seems to surprise us anymore. From devices designed to mimic the real thing to products that push the boundaries of imagination, these items are not new to the market. Yet, every now and then, something emerges that raises an eyebrow, and recently, that something is the Infinity Pillow. While this seemingly innocent product was designed for comfort and support, it has become the star of an unexpected viral moment on TikTok. What started as a simple travel pillow has morphed into an object of curiosity, confusion, and humour. But why? What is it about this product that’s gotten so many people talking, laughing, and even scratching their heads? The Infinity Pillow was thrust into the spotlight by TikTok user @cazzaCreatesLDN,…

A TOTAL of 1 457 children under the age of five died of acute malnutrition in the past two years in South Africa, the majority due to severe acute malnutrition (SAM). KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, the Eastern Cape, and Gauteng were the hardest hit with 265, 230, 190, and 172 deaths respectively from January 1, 2023 to November 8, 2024. This was according to Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s response to a parliamentary question from DA MP Michele Clarke. “As part of efforts to reduce deaths in young children, the Department of Health monitors the number of deaths in children under five years of age in all public health facilities. Aggregated data on common causes of deaths in children under five years of age (lists) diarrhoea and pneumonia as well as … underlying…

The festive season is a time for celebration, but for current students and matrics preparing to start their studies next year, it’s also a time to prepare for the year ahead. This includes registering with a higher education institution or college, securing accommodation and transport, sourcing textbooks, purchasing educational tech such as laptops, and more. The student journey has, however, become a lucrative new source of potential victims for scammers, and young people have been warned to be especially alert to potential bad actors these next few months. “Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, exploiting the trust and urgency often associated with online transactions and the need to secure study placement, accommodation, and so forth. Students are particularly vulnerable as they may be unfamiliar with common scams or eager to secure…

A VETERINARIAN has been unsuccessful in her bid for damages after she sued the landlord of the premises where her practice is, claiming she suffered injuries when a steel motorgate fell on her. Alfreda Alberts, 70, turned to the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, as she said her landlord, dentist Louis Muller, had a duty to ensure that the sliding gate was safe to use. She leased business premises from Muller, and she said he, as the owner of the property, was responsible for the repair and maintenance of the leased property, including the gate. She wanted nearly R1.8-million in her claim in respect of past medical expenses, general damages, loss of earnings, and future medical expenses. Alberts testified that the afternoon of the incident, she went to open the gate…

A huge task lies ahead to address the challenges in the early childhood development sector AS WE wind down the academic year, we know that the country has their eyes on the matriculants. Success in matric and the overall matric results have become a benchmark for the government to measure success and overall progress in the country. It is however important that we put the situation for young children into perspective against the overall South African education system: For the past 15 years at least one million children started school in Grade 1 each year. However, each year the number of matriculants were on average about 500 000 – with a dropout rate of about 50% by the time learners reached Grade 12. There is no rocket science to…

Islamist-led rebels took Damascus yesterday after a lightning offensive, sending President Bashar al-Assad fleeing and ending five decades of Ba’ath party rule in Syria. Residents in the capital were seen cheering in the streets as the rebel factions heralded the departure of “tyrant” Assad, saying: “We declare the city of Damascus free.” AFPTV images from Damascus showed rebels firing into the air at sunrise, with some flashing the victory sign and crying “Allahu Akbar”, or God is greatest. Some people climbed atop a tank in celebration, while others battered a toppled statue of Assad’s father, Hafez. Assad’s reported departure comes less than two weeks after the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group challenged more than five decades of Assad family rule with a lightning offensive. “After 50 years of oppression…

More than 1 000 EU citizens have joined the legal action against European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in the case of violations during the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines, the Belgian activist who filed the complaint, Frederic Baldan, said on Saturday. “We have over 1 000 plaintiffs,” Baldan said. These people include members of non-governmental organisations and professional organisations, such as trade unions of pilots, as well as Hungarian and Polish officials, the activist said. There is evidence that the vaccines approved for use in the EU “have not been sufficiently tested” for effectiveness in combating the pandemic, although Brussels introduced restrictive measures against those who opposed mandatory vaccination, Baldan said. A Belgian court in Liege was unable to consider the charges against von der Leyen on Friday and…

The Hague: At least five bodies have been pulled from the wreckage of a block of flats in The Hague, authorities said, bringing the total number of victims to 10, as recovery efforts stretched into a second day yesterday. Elite rescue teams picked through the debris, searching for victims of a huge explosion and fire that destroyed at least five homes early on Saturday. It remained unclear how many people could still be buried under the rubble. Police were investigating possible causes for the blaze. Around 40 residents of other blocks near the collapsed building had been evacuated. | AFP…

MOGOSOAIA: The Romanian far-right presidential candidate at the centre of a Russian electoral meddling scandal turned up at the place he would have voted in yesterday, saying the Constitutional Court’s decision to cancel the ballot was fatal for democracy. The court annulled the ongoing presidential election after accusations of Russian meddling and on Friday ruled that the entire process would have to be re-run. Russia denies interference in the process. Yesterday’s second round would have pitted Calin Georgescu, a far-right, pro-Russian candidate, against pro-EU leader Elena Lasconi. Georgescu wants to end Romanian support for Ukraine in the war with Russia. | Reuters…

On Saturday, I revisited a resonant memory lane, reflecting on the fading echoes of what the liberation Struggle was all about. Yet the indomitable spirit of that Struggle still endures. Justice Albie Sachs captures such moments eloquently, reiterating Nelson Mandela’s profound statement, “It is in your hands now.” While Mandela spoke of averting rivers of blood by coming to the negotiating table, Sachs was himself a river of blood – losing an eye and nearly his life to the apartheid regime’s brutal machinery. Sachs said that when his body was torn apart, he was liberated from fear, as the very thing he had dreaded most had already happened. His reflection underscores a profound point: the country was saved through the sacrifices of countless individuals, but the lingering question is whether…

Nomzamo Mbatha is one of the most beautiful Mzansi actresses. The actress-turned-producer who rose to fame following her role in Isibaya, portraying the character of Thandeka Zungu-Ndlovu, has created a successful name for herself. As a humanitarian on the go, she always looks radiant and her supporters have always been curious about how she maintains her beauty. “Honestly, it’s all about making small habits part of your daily routine. I always make time for a quick skincare routine before bed, even if it’s just a gentle cleanser and moisturiser. It doesn’t need to be complicated, just consistent. After a long day of shoots, my skin craves that moment of care,” she said. Mbatha added that if there’s one step she doesn’t skip in her skincare routine it has to be…

A GROUP of organisations, academics and unions have sent Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen a 17-page letter of demand calling for the immediate ban of the lethal chemical, Terbufos, which has been implicated in the deaths of six children. The deaths linked to the pesticide Terbufos came amid a recent spate of foodborne illnesses which prompted investigations by authorities. The group includes the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) a coalition of farm workers and civil society organisations including the Women on Farms Project, the Commercial Stevedoring, Agricultural and Allied Workers Union, Groundwork, Friends of the Earth SA and Professor Leslie London, among others. They are calling on Steenhuisen “to exercise his powers in terms of section 7 bis of the Fertilizers; Farm Feeds Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act” and ban…

AS the festive holiday season fast approaches, the Border Management Authority (BMA) has already disrupted human smuggling activities at ports of entry. Vigilant border guards intercepted a minibus taxi on Friday at the Lebombo Port of Entry. According to BMA commissioner Michale Masiapato, the driver who was coming from Mozambique and driving into South Africa attempted to smuggle 14 undocumented children aged between 4 and 16 years old. “The driver was immediately arrested and charged with aiding and abetting illegal entry in accordance with the Immigration Act. “The rescued children were handed over to the Department of Social Development for care and support,” said Masiapato. DSD national spokesperson Lumka Oliphant said it was standard procedure that the department will provide psychosocial support, make sure that the children were unharmed and…

1kg firm fish, cut into pieces Salt ¼ cup olive oil 2 onions, sliced 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 red pepper, seeded and sliced 1 yellow pepper, seeded and sliced 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced (optional), plus fronds for garnishing ¼ cup white wine 1 x 410g tin diced tomatoes 1 cup fish or vegetable broth 2 tbsp parsley, chopped, plus extra for garnishing 500g assorted seafood (prawns, mussels, calamari) Black olives, to garnish (optional) Season the fish with salt and set aside. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until softened. Add the peppers and fennel (if using) and cook for another 5 minutes. Pour in the white wine and let it reduce slightly. Add the…

THE South African Post Office (SAPO) has put on hold capital expenditure at the financially-strapped state-owned enterprise after it failed to secure a bailout from National Treasury. This comes after Sapo informed Parliament three months ago that it was facing what it called “Day Zero”, a situation where it could run out of funds in October. It had stated that the situation was so serious that should the funding be not found, it could be at risk of being liquidated. Sapo, which was placed under business rescue last year, had informed Parliament that it received R2.4bn from the National Treasury for the business rescue and had expected an outstanding R3.8bn. However, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana dashed their hopes when he tabled the medium-term budget policy statement and did not make…

A Bergville man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for killing five members of his family. Mlamuli Mondli Khoza, 28, pleaded guilty to the murders and was sentenced by the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Friday. Khoza stabbed his relatives – an elderly woman, a woman with a disability, his uncle, and two girls aged two and eight in October this year. National Prosecuting Authority provincial spokesperson, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said Khoza claimed that a day before the murders, he had been watching soccer and drinking at a tavern. "He suspects that at some point, someone had put something in his drink. The following day, on October 2, 2024, he was at his home when his aunt and her family came over to visit. They were sitting at the dining room table…

THE International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3) falls during the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children (November 25 – December 10). These two global campaigns provide a perfect opportunity to pay closer attention to the alarming rise of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). According to the UN Regional Information Centre for Western Europe, TFGBV is “any act that is committed, assisted, aggravated or amplified by the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) or other digital tools, that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, psychological, social, political or economic harm, or other infringements of rights and freedoms”. Some of the most known forms of TFGBV faced by women with disabilities include: • Cyberstalking and tracking • Non-consensual image sharing and…

South Korea’s leadership crisis deepened yesterday as prosecutors named President Yoon Suk Yeol as a subject of a criminal investigation over last week’s martial law attempt, a media report said, and his former defence minister was arrested. Yoon survived an impeachment vote in the opposition-led parliament late on Saturday, prompted by his short-lived attempt to impose martial law on Tuesday last week, but the leader of his own party said the president would effectively be excluded from his duties before eventually stepping down. That proposal, which appeared to win tacit approval from the Yoon-appointed prime minister yesterday, drew condemnation from opposition MPs who said it was another unconstitutional power grab to delegate authority without resignation or impeachment. Thousands of people rallied in front of the parliament in Seoul yesterday, calling…

Ghana’s former president John Dramani Mahama has staged a political comeback by winning the west African nation’s presidential election after his rival Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia conceded defeat yesterday. Bawumia said he had called Mahama to congratulate him, adding that Mahama’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) also won the parliamentary election. Bawumia said he conceded before the official results to ease tensions. Before his concession, scuffles had been reported in several local constituency centres where results were still arriving from polling stations. “I am making this concession speech before the official announcement by the Electoral Commission to avoid further tension and preserve the peace of our country,” he said. “It is important that the world investor community continues to believe in the peaceful and democratic character of Ghana.” | Reuters…

SYDNEY: Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said yesterday that suspected arson at a Melbourne synagogue appeared to be an act of terror, a day after his Israeli counterpart said the Labor government had motivated the crime with anti-Israel policies. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that the Adass Israel synagogue blaze, which broke out early on Friday, could not be separated from the “anti-Israel spirit” of Albanese’s centre-left government whose policies include support of a recent UN motion backing a Palestinian state. Police are still looking for two people suspected of deliberately starting the fire. | Reuters…

Singapore: Indian teenage challenger Gukesh Dommaraju beat China’s Ding Liren in the eleventh game of their world championship match yesterday, taking a crucial lead as the tournament entered the final stretch. Gukesh, 18, whose win gave him a 6-5 lead with just three games to play, forced a resignation from Ding after the defending champion made a blunder under time pressure. The victory ended seven consecutive draws and gave Gukesh a big advantage into the homestretch of the series. Gukesh is the youngest player to compete in the World Championship and he is looking to surpass Garry Kasparov as the youngest undisputed world champion. | AFP…

It is time that the Road Accident Fund (RAF) is lifted from the clutches of vultures and overhauled to serve workers and the poor. The RAF, like many other embattled state institutions, has occupied headlines for all the wrong reasons. Many of these were due to an outdated model, mismanagement of the RAF and internal corruption. Others were due to road accident claims lawyers seeing a weak institution and the desperation of claimants, and exploiting these for their own self-enrichment. For many years, management at the RAF, was at best negligent, and frequently appeared in fact to be complicit in its decay. More recently we have seen a positive shift with the RAF admitting the extent of the crises and raising the alarm bells on what needs to be done,…

Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane has committed to look into the appointment of an Independent Assessor to investigate the affairs of the University of Limpopo. This was after the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education detailed their disbelief and disappointment in writing to the minister in relation to a November 20 engagement where the institution's executives were summoned to Parliament to account over various issues, especially governance related matters. A number of questions were not responded to adequately and the committee gave Vice-Chancellor Professor Mahlo Mokgalong and colleagues until November 27 to respond, however, to date, the university has remained mum, Parliament heard. Committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie said despite spending so many hours with management that “did not know their statute or abide by it”, they continued with a disrespectful…

Steenhuisen warns against call to axe Gwarube over handling of consultations IF PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa caves in to ANC “factional” pressure and sacks Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube of the DA, that would be the beginning of the end for the ANC/DA Government of National Unity (GNU). That is the assurance DA leader John Steenhuisen made in a statement yesterday ahead of the deadline for consultations of the outstanding Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act clauses that were suspended in September pending further discussions. The two clauses relate to the provincial department being responsible for the admission of pupils into a public school, taking away the responsibility of school governing bodies (SGB), while the other sees the power of determining a school’s language policy move from the SGB to the…

The three-person panel appointed to review the Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA)'s handling of reports of abuse committed by the late John Smyth in South Africa has called for input from the public. The panel, appointed by the Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba, has requested the public to assist with information relevant to its inquiries where Smyth is accused of having committed sexual abuse and “abuse in England and Zimbabwe” of at least 85 boy victims. The panel consists of SA civil society leader, Dr Mamphela Ramphele, SA and British barrister Advocate Jeremy Gauntlett SC KC, and retired judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal, Ian Farlam, who will conduct the review and make recommendations to Makgoba. On Friday, the panel announced the terms of reference of its…

A STRIKE is imminent, Cosatu in the Western Cape says, after attempts to resolve issues concerning teacher job losses have failed at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac). Cosatu Western Cape approached Nedlac in October concerning pending job losses in the Western Cape Department of Education (WCED) after it announced its decision to terminate 2 407 teacher posts in January, citing the National Treasury’s budget cuts to several departments. Meetings were held between the Nedlac Standing Committee, the union and Education MEC David Maynier on October 16 and December 4. The Nedlac certificate on the outcome read: “At the meeting on October 16, it was agreed that the applicant should await the engagement between the Minister of Basic Education and the National Treasury and to see whether there…

The recent strike by taxi operators demanding the issuance of permits served as a stark reminder of the taxi industry’s complex relationship with the South African economy. While it is undeniable that the right to protest is a fundamental democratic right enjoyed by every citizen, including taxi operators, the destructive methods employed during these protests can no longer be tolerated. The economic disruptions caused by violent demonstrations and road blockages bring entire sectors to a standstill, harming businesses and everyday commuters who rely on this mode of transport. The grievances of the taxi industry are legitimate. Many operators face longstanding issues, including bureaucracy and the struggle for fair representation in an evolving transport sector. However, these grievances are not grounds for lawlessness, intimidation and violence. Last week’s strike exemplified this…

China’s retaliatory export controls could take a toll on the growing US clean energy sector and its defence industry, analysts say, as a trade tussle escalates between the world’s two biggest economies. Beijing announced this week it would ban exports of gallium, germanium and antimony to the US, targeting materials used for everything from semiconductors to solar cells. China also tightened restrictions on graphite, which is key to the electric vehicle industry. The moves, which Beijing said were to safeguard national security, swiftly followed Washington’s own curbs to hobble China’s ability to make advanced computer chips. While trade tensions have been simmering, US President-elect Donald Trump’s arrival at the White House in January is likely to ratchet up the temperature on trade – with the Republican already vowing sweeping tariffs…

CAIRO: Palestinian health officials said yesterday that Israeli forces had shelled the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya, damaging electricity and oxygen pumps and disrupting urgent surgeries. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of the hospital, one of only three barely operational on the northern edge of the enclave, said the facility was hit by around 100 tank shells and bombs, wounding several of the medical staff and patients. The hospital is treating 112 wounded people, including six in the intensive care unit, he said. The health ministry of Hamas-run Gaza said a doctor was killed with his family in an Israeli air strike near the hospital on Saturday night. | Reuters…

Mexico City: Three men accused of kidnapping and robbing a girl were lynched by a crowd in central Mexico on Saturday, authorities said. Lynchings have increased in Mexico in recent years, with experts saying the perception of impunity leads communities to take justice into their own hands. The trio were killed on Saturday afternoon in San Juan Amecac, 68km southeast of the capital Mexico City, a local government statement said. Police rushed to the scene but the men “no longer showed vital signs” by the time they arrived, it added. About 300 people participated in the lynching – hanging and beating the men until they were dead. | AFP…

South Africa 136 all out Tryon 45, Wolvaardt 35; Ecclestone 3/27, Dean 4/45 England 137/4 Beaumont 34, Bouchier; Dercksen 2/22 The Proteas women failed the spin test in the second ODI as they fell to a thumping six-wicket loss to England at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground in Durban yesterday. The three-match series is level at 1-1, with the third and final encounter set to be played at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on Wednesday. Charlie Dean and Sophie Ecclestone backed up Lauren Filer’s quick start with the ball, as they restricted the Proteas to a below-par score of 135 all out in just 31.3 overs. The visitors needed just 24 overs to chase down the target to set up a winner-takes-all final ODI. Tamsin Beaumont and Maia Bouchier got…