Table of contents for 2023-08-18 in Cape Times

from page 1 qualified pharmacists to prescribe specific medication for prescribed conditions, something they would not otherwise have been able to do. Judge Elmarie van der Schyff, in dismissing the review application, noted that the therapies already empowered pharmacists to consult, diagnose and manage patients. The SAPC argued that IPA was wrong in perceiving the treatment to constitute an encroachment on the domain of medical practitioners, and stated that it was a measure within the ambit and control of the SA Pharmacy Council that falls under its mandate. Judge Van der Schyff added that although the SAPC did not provide IPA with the reasons for its decision to implement the treatment, the reasons provided to the court dispel any suspicion that the decision to implement the treatment was taken arbitrarily…

THE South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) has distanced the taxi industry from a shooting that claimed one life and left three others wounded in Retreat yesterday. At about 9am shots were fired at the corner of Joe Mark’s Boulevard and Swanswyk Road. According to police spokesperson FC van Wyk, while circumstances leading to the shooting were being investigated, the motive could possibly be “taxi related”. “According to reports, SAPS members attended a complaint at the mentioned address. On their arrival, they found the body of an unidentified male (in his 30s) with a gunshot wound to the head and three others injured. Circumstances surrounding this shooting incident are under investigation. The motive for this incident could be taxi related. The suspect/s fled the scene and are yet to be…

CHILDREN’S rights law centre, Centre for Child Law, said it noted with concern the lenient sentence imposed on a convicted child molester who offered to pay the victim’s family R1 000 as “compensation”. The uncle of the 7-year-old was given a non-custodial sentence as his five-year imprisonment was suspended for three years. He is not to contravene same charge for three years or else he would be jailed immediately. The matter was heard in the high court in KwaZulu-Natal. Director at the Centre for Child Law, Karabo Ozah, said: “The centre accepts that the courts can only make decisions based on the evidence before them, however, the imposition of such a lenient sentence against persons who commit sexual violence against children is extremely concerning and a further violation of children’s…

SWELLENDAM remained tense yesterday, with schools reporting large absenteeism numbers following two days of protest action that saw chaotic and violent scenes in the town. Police were out in their numbers after the municipal head office building was set alight and businesses looted on Wednesday. The residents rejected an amended council policy requiring indigent households to apply for subsidised services. Hundreds of residents from Mossel Bay also participated in a legal march yesterday related to electricity tariffs and over allegations pertaining to unfinished housing projects in Mountain View. Southern Cape police spokesperson Christopher Spies said a strong police contingent consisting of Public Order Police (POP) members supported by local police as well as neighbouring police stations were on the ground as the matter remained tense. “These forces are monitoring the…

The Raging storm Ann Cleeves Loot.co.za (R260) Pan Macmillan The Raging Storm is a captivating novel in the Two Rivers series from Ann Cleeves. When Jem Rosco – sailor, adventurer and local legend – blows into town in the middle of an autumn gale, the residents of Greystone, Devon, are delighted to have a celebrity in their midst. The residents think nothing of it when Rosco disappears again; that’s the sort of man he is. Until the lifeboat is launched to a hoax call-out during a raging storm and his body is found in a dinghy, anchored off Scully Cove, a place with legends of its own. This is an uncomfortable case for DI Matthew Venn. He came to the remote village as a child, its community populated by the…

In today’s rapidly changing world, sustainability is a critical issue for organisations globally. Amid growing environmental concerns, resource limitations, and increased social expectations, companies are under mounting pressure to integrate sustainable practices into their main strategies. However, despite heightened awareness and goodwill, many companies still find it hard to effectively embed sustainability into their operations. Although companies realise that implementing a sustainability strategy is important, they have to deal with challenges that limit results. One of the primary reasons companies struggle to incorporate sustainability into their main strategies is an inadequate understanding of its implications. Moreover, some leaders might view sustainability as an added cost rather than an opportunity for innovation and growth. As a result, managers often do not communicate to employees why they are implementing a sustainable strategy.…

KUALA LUMPUR: A small aircraft crashed in Malaysia’s Selangor state with eight people on board yesterday, the country’s civil aviation authority said. The condition of the six passengers and two crew on board the Beechcraft Model 390 aircraft could not immediately be confirmed and a search and rescue mission was underway, the civil aviation chief said. It crashed near Elmina township after departing from the holiday island of Langkawi, en route to Selangor’s Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, chief executive Norazman Mahmud said. “A total of six passengers and two flight crew were on board and their conditions have yet to be confirmed,” he said. | Reuters…

ACCRA: The West African bloc Ecowas stands ready to intervene militarily in Niger should diplomatic efforts to reverse a coup there fail, a senior official told army chiefs who were meeting in Ghana yesterday to discuss the details of a standby force. Ecowas Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Abdel-Fatau Musah, accused the junta that deposed President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26 of “playing cat-and-mouse” with the bloc by refusing to meet with envoys and seeking justifications for the takeover. “The military and the civilian forces of West Africa are ready to answer to the call of duty,” he told assembled chiefs of defence staff. | Reuters…

Firefighters yesterday struggled to contain a wildfire that broke out in a mountainous national park on the Spanish island of Tenerife, prompting authorities to evacuate about 3 800 people. The fire’s perimeter expanded to 31km across dry woodland covering both flanks of steep ravines near the Mount Teide volcano – Spain’s highest peak – hampering access to the area and covering much of the island with smoke clouds and ash. The fire, which broke out on Wednesday, has burned through 2 600 hectares of land. “The night has been very tough. This is the most complex fire we’ve had in the Canary Islands in the last 40 years,” the region’s leader, Fernando Clavijo, told a news conference. Pedro Martinez, head of emergency services in Tenerife, said the…

A Libyan militia leader whose detention sparked clashes that killed 55 people in the capital Tripoli this week has been released, a military official said yesterday. Gun battles had raged on the streets of Tripoli from Monday night through Tuesday after 444 Brigade leader Mahmoud Hamza was apprehended by the rival Al-Radaa Force. Hamza “was released on Wednesday night and returned to his headquarters south of Tripoli”, an official at army headquarters in Libya said. “He was released under a government-sponsored ceasefire agreement” which also provides for the “withdrawal of fighters from the front lines”, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Videos circulated on social media on Wednesday night showed Hamza dressed in military fatigues and surrounded by his fighters at the Tekbali barracks south of the…

THE Correctional Services Department is working on an information system with criminal histories of accused persons and convicted criminals. This was revealed by Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola when he was responding to a parliamentary question from ANC MP Anthea Ramolobeng about steps his department was taking to strengthen its relations with sister departments within the justice cluster. This was to ensure incidents such as the recent escape of prisoner Thabo Bester never take place again. In his written response, Lamola said his department had a programme called the Integrated Justice System (IJS) to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice process. Lamola said the programme was driving a multi-department effort to increase the probability of successful investigation, prosecution, punishment and the rehabilitation of offenders and…

Patients can now get lifesaving medicine from pharmacists IN A GROUNDBREAKING Gauteng High Court judgment, pharmacists have been given the nod to dispense first-line antiretroviral (ARV) medicine to patients. Patients are now no longer compelled to receive their medication only via a doctor, after the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) said the judgment paved the way for the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) to implement Pharmacy-Initiated Management of Antiretroviral Treatment (PiMART). South Africa has the largest number of people living with HIV worldwide, according to the SAPC. It said the court confirmed its long-held view that PiMART was a necessary and competently designed intervention programme to support South Africa’s efforts in providing access to patients diagnosed with HIV and Aids. “PiMART increases access to much-needed HIV prevention and treatment…

Tell us more about your professional journey, what inspired you to pursue a nursing and midwifery career, and how you ended up at Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Southern Africa. The SA curriculum for a nursing qualification as a professional nurse includes midwifery. Since the first time I witnessed the delivery of a baby during the training years, I was fascinated. As a military student, we had a very inspiring midwifery lecturer, Captain Ella. I did other degrees in between and worked for years as a neonatal practitioner, mostly in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Until 2012, I was involved in the neonatal care research part. Although the work was exciting, I needed to return to my first love: Midwifery. As a donor at the time of MSF, I was well…

KOEBERG Unit 1 is set to come into operation in November, Eskom said yesterday, as the mechanical work on the steam generator replacements has been completed. The new generators are expected to produce an additional 27MW, and the necessary tests of the new generators are expected to take place while the unit is synchronised to the grid. Eskom said due to the deferment of the return of Unit 1, the outage of Unit 2 was postponed to November 7, to ensure there was no simultaneous shutdown. “Unit 1 of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station reached a significant milestone on Friday, July 28, 2023, when the mechanical work of the replacement of the steam generators was completed. “This is the most significant part of the scope which involved complex activities and…

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? Dr Julie Smith Loot.co.za (R280) Michael Joseph Drawing on years of experience as a clinical psychologist, online sensation Dr Julie Smith shares all the tools you need to get through life’s ups and downs. Filled with secrets from the therapy room, this is a must-have handbook for optimising your mental health. Julie’s simple but expert advice and powerful coping techniques will help you stay resilient no matter what life throws your way. Written in short, bite-sized entries, you can turn straight to the section you need, depending on the challenge you’re facing, and immediately find the appropriate tools to help. From managing anxiety, dealing with criticism or battling low mood, to building self-confidence, finding motivation or learning to forgive yourself, the book tackles…

Cat Therapy – Cancer in the time of Corona Gail Gilbride Loot.co.za (R248) Karavan Press When Gail Gilbride is diagnosed with breast cancer, she experiences the full range of emotions. There’s disbelief, anger, confusion, fear, bargaining and, why, yes, indeed, of course she wants to talk to the manager. But then Gail settles on resolve. She’s ready to fight. Not only will she follow her doctor’s instructions and march with the big guns in the oncology centre, but she’ll also tip her helmet to her late mother’s inclination for alternative treatments. Gail is ready to give her body everything it might need to conquer the disease, recover and live a long life of joy. She nourishes it, meditates, exercises, rests, and explores parts of her consciousness she’s previously pushed to…

This continent is far more than just its vast resources Dr Iqbal Survé is the former chairperson of the BRICS Business Council (2018), and the current co-chairperson of the BRICS Media Forum. He is also a member of the advisory council of the Belt and Road Initiative for Africa. On the eve of the BRICS Summit, he shares some insights pertaining to the theme of this year’s meeting: BRICS and Africa: Uniting for Development, Integration, and Industrialisation. In the global landscape, Africa has long been perceived as a continent with untapped potential, rife with abundant resources and opportunities. The emergence of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) as an influential economic bloc presents a unique opportunity for the entire African continent to seize its rightful place in the…

STOCKHOLM: Sweden will raise its terrorist alert to the second highest level, the Dagens Nyheter daily reported yesterday, after burnings and other acts against the Qur’an outraged Muslims. The Sapo security service plans to lift the warning level from 3 to 4, meaning there is a concrete threat of an attack, the newspaper reported. Sapo was to hold a news conference later yesterday about national security. Britain and the US have warned nationals against going to Sweden due to possible terrorist attacks amid protests there and in neighbouring Denmark over the burning and damaging of copies of the Qur’an by anti-Islam activists. Sweden and Denmark are among the most liberal countries in the world. | Reuters…

Police were guarding a Christian neighbourhood in Pakistan yesterday, after hundreds of Muslim men rampaged through its streets burning and ransacking churches and homes over accusations of blasphemy a day earlier. The violence broke out in Jaranwala, on the outskirts of the industrial city of Faisalabad, after allegations spread that Christians had desecrated the Qur’an, forcing families to flee their homes. Yesterday morning, hundreds of police were deployed in the area – including outside the main Salvation Army Church that had been gutted by fire, its walls and window blackened. The day before, rioters had hammered the cross atop the church until it split apart, to cheers from crowds below. “All the Christians have left their homes and taken refuge here and there,” said Fayaz Masih Khokhar, a Christian man…

LONDON: British broadcaster Michael Parkinson, best known for interviewing some of the world’s biggest celebrities on his long-running chat show, has died, aged 88, the BBC said yesterday. Born in Yorkshire in northern England, he dreamt of becoming a professional cricketer before turning to local newspaper journalism. After moving into current affairs television, he was given his own prime-time chat show, Parkinson by the BBC in 1971. “Michael was the king of the chat show and he defined the format for all the presenters and shows that followed,” said BBC director-general Tim Davie. | Reuters…

North Korea may launch an intercontinental ballistic missile or take other military action to protest against a summit of the US, South Korea and Japan, a South Korean lawmaker said yesterday. US President Joe Biden will meet at Camp David today with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, hoping to tighten ties between Seoul and Tokyo amid nuclear threats from North Korea at a time when China’s regional influence is growing. North Korea has criticised the deepening military co-operation of the three countries as part of a dangerous prelude to the creation of an “Asian version of Nato”. The reclusive state could also attempt another spy satellite launch at the end of August or early September after its first such effort failed in May,…

REGULATIONS that give the education minister power over the management of learner pregnancy ruffled feathers among National Assembly committee on basic eduction members, as deliberations on the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill continued in Parliament yesterday. Clause 41 of the bill seeks to amend section 61 of the South African Schools Act, to extend the powers of the minister to make regulations on the management of learner pregnancy. Although some MPs labelled the clause as a “blank cheque” given to the minister, it was decided that it should be given the go ahead. Basic Education director of education management and governance development, James Ndlebe said: “There's no regulation that will happen unless honourable members in this room have sat and it has gone to national assembly. So the word…

THE ANC in the Western Cape is racing against time to have delegates submit their details for registration for the Dullah Omar regional conference that will be held over the weekend. This happens as the chairperson of the Khayelitsha Development Forum, Ndithini Tyhido, and ANC legislature chief whip Pat Lekker, are touted as candidates vying for the regional chairperson position. Speaking to the media in Cape Town yesterday, provincial secretary Neville Delport confirmed he notified the branches about the delay in the registration of delegates. “We have notified the branches not on a delay from our side but from a delay from delegates that did not submit their photos and their ID numbers,” he said. Delport also said they would finalise the registration in the evening today and start the…

The AA and economists have predicted a major fuel price increase for both petrol and diesel for September. They added that the huge price hikes could drive up inflation and result in a interest rate increase. Layton Beard, spokesperson for the AA, said steep increases to all grades of fuel were expected next month. “According to the Central Energy Fund’s data, petrol is currently facing increases of between R1.41/litre (for ULP93) and R1.45/l (for ULP95), while diesel could climb by as much as R2.60/l and illuminating paraffin by R2.55/l.” Beard said if such increases were implemented, it would be the highest price hikes since December last year. “For ULP95 users in Gauteng, the increases will result in a price point of around R24.28/l for fuel, and it will cost about…

This could be us Claire McGowan Loot.co.za (R265) Cosair This Could be Us is a book about loss, family and redemption. Kate has failed at life. Once she had everything – a great job in journalism, a happy marriage to Andrew and a baby on the way – but when her second child, Kirsty, is born profoundly disabled, it all starts to fall apart. Five years on from Kirsty’s birth, Kate is at the end of her tether, smarting from a disastrous affair, unable to love her children, furious with her husband, mourning the career she lost. She decides the only way to survive is to do the unthinkable – and leave her family. Years later, when Adam and Kirsty have grown up, Andrew publishes his memoir about Kirsty learning…

Death of a Bookseller Alice Slater Loot.co.za (R589) Hodder & Stoughton I know some wonderful booksellers in Cape Town, so when I saw the title of this book, Death of a Bookseller, I was on it immediately. Not because I wanted to see a dead bookseller (heaven forbid), but because I was intrigued as to who in their right mind would want to kill someone who sells such precious items as books! But of course it goes far beyond book selling. Steady your nerves as this is a novel that is unsettling, menacing and morbidly addictive. It has protagonists who needle you, a clever plot that has you guessing and some surprisingly quirky and funny moments. Where author Alice Slater got her inspiration from I hesitate to think, but she…

JENIN: Israeli forces killed a Palestinian gunman during a raid that set off clashes in the flashpoint town of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, medical officials and militant groups said. The Palestinian health ministry said one of its staff, a woman, was also seriously injured. The dead 32-year-old was a senior operative with Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah movement, according to relatives. Israel’s military said soldiers came under fire, and shot back, during a mission to arrest suspected members of the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad faction. A gun and a dozen bombs were also seized in the operation. | Reuters…

Sydney: Australia’s border police raided a home in the south of Sydney yesterday, finding what local media described as “nuclear isotopes”. The home, in the suburb of Arncliffe, was the target of an early morning raid and remains cordoned off with tape warning of a toxic, nuclear or biological hazard inside. Channel 10 reported that mercury and uranium isotopes were found inside, while the Daily Telegraph said officers had found nuclear isotopes. The Australian Border Force (ABF) did not confirm reports about the presence of radioactive material at the property. “All appropriate safety measures are being implemented,” a border force spokesperson said.…

The World Health Organization (WHO) opened its first summit on traditional medicine yesterday, with the group saying it was seeking to collect evidence and data to allow for the safe use of such treatments. Traditional medicines are a “first port of call for millions of people worldwide”, the UN health agency said, with the talks in India bringing together policymakers and academics to “mobilise political commitment and evidence-based action” towards them. “WHO is working to build the evidence and data to inform policies, standards and regulations for the safe, cost-effective and equitable use of traditional medicine,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. Traditional medicine could bridge health-care “access gaps”, but was of value only if used “appropriately, effectively, and above all, safely, based on the latest scientific evidence”, Tedros warned.…

Jakarta: Japanese Superbike racer Haruki Noguchi has died from injuries suffered in a crash during an Asia Road Racing Championship race in Indonesia, organisers said yesterday. The 22-year-old died on Wednesday evening after three days of treatment at a hospital in Mataram, on the island of Lombok. “It is with great sadness that we report the demise of Haruki Noguchi after three days of intensive treatment at the Public Hospital of Nusa Tenggara Barat,” the International Motorcycling Federation Asia said in a statement. The SDG Honda Racing rider crashed on the fourth lap of the Asia Superbike 1000cc race at the Mandalika International Street Circuit, which resulted in the race being cancelled. “We conveyed our deepest condolences for the passing of Haruki Noguchi. “We pray that the family he left…