Table of contents for 2023-08-29 in Cape Times

78 new contract grower houses are being constructed in R400m investment by the growers LOCAL employment and chicken were in the spotlight yesterday after Rainbow Chicken, a division of RCL Foods, opened its second processing plant at Hammarsdale, west of Durban. This marked a return to full production, which was welcomed by the government and poultry industry. In 2017 Rainbow had to close half of the Hammarsdale operation and retrench some 1 200 workers as cheap chicken imports decimated the poultry sector. Rainbow said it had invested R220 mil- lion in their Hammarsdale abattoir and 78 new contract grower houses were being constructed at an investment by the growers of another R400 million. The investment was announced in April during the South African Investment Conference at the Sandton…

THE newly-elected ANC Women’s League in the Western Cape said yesterday it would focus on rebuilding the organisation and uniting all women in the country. The league convened an elective conference and elected new leadership in Cape Town after being without a formally elected leadership since 2008. Other provinces such as Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and the Northern Cape held their conferences in recent weeks after the national elective conference in July where the mother body elected its leadership. Speaking to the Cape Times, new chairperson Sindiswa Sambokwe said she was delighted that they finally held the conference in the Western Cape. “I am relieved and happy that we no longer have a provincial task team (PTT) anymore,” Sambokwe said. “We were the only structure in the…

Organisation could still face legal challenges WHILE the first of a three-day Minibus Taxi Task Team imbizo has been hailed as having progressed well in terms of resolving challenges, the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) could soon face legal action for damages suffered during the recent crippling taxi strike, which claimed the lives of five people with about R5 billion in losses to the economy. Mobility MEC Ricardo Mackenzie said yesterday the task team resumed its work and they were moving forward to address issues in the industry. “I am pleased that the Minibus Taxi Task Team continued making progress today (yesterday) with a constructive engagement between Western Cape government, City and Santaco. The needs and rights of commuters are placed front and centre of these discussions. Our priority is…

THE death of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in an air crash probably took place in the shadows of the Kremlin, an ominous event that harks back to the elimination many years ago of Boris Nemstov. Leaders have paid their tributes, expressed their horror, and pledged as they always do when one of their leaders is murdered, that democracy will triumph. Within the corridors of the Kremlin, tales of skulduggery, intrigue, violence, and murder have existed since the days of Vladimir Lenin. Powerful Russian leaders do not tolerate dissent. In 1934, top Soviet leader Sergei Kirov was assassinated on Stalin’s orders when he became a threat to those in the corridors of power in the Kremlin. Prigozhin’s fate was sealed when he violated the fundamental principle of Putin’s power, by challenging…

A MITCHELLS Plain woman is expected in court today for animal neglect and cruelty charges after an adult cross-breed dog was found in a shocking state, with two large, festering wounds, and had to be euthanised. The Cape of Good Hope SPCA said the distressing incident last week involved an unwanted dog named Rockxy. Its inspectorate department received a call regarding an unwanted dog on Thursday, which led it to a residence in Beacon Valley, Mitchells Plain. “Upon arrival, SPCA collection officer Mzikayise Mfini was met with a horrifying sight – Rockxy, an adult cross-breed dog, was in a shocking state of deterioration with sizeable and festering wounds, one on her abdomen and one in her genital area. He returned to the SPCA and took Rockxy directly to the SPCA…

Men to hover over the prerogative to place women in positions that suit themselves IT IS August and I want to bury my head in the sand to avoid being part of what is turning out to be a condescending South African ritual against women – “speak justice in August, and practise injustices for the rest of the year”. The requests to feminists to rise up and give talks to dignify yet another August with sophisticated speak about quite a simple moral matter – women are as human as men. The ritual is tiring and it is creating despondency. How difficult can it be to switch to action on equality and fairness towards women as human beings too? How difficult can it be to be fair? How difficult can…

Tropical Storm Idalia strengthened as it neared Cuba and the abnormally hot waters of the Gulf of Mexico yesterday, with forecasters predicting it could become a major hurricane before roaring ashore in Florida this week. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned the storm could have a “major impact” along the Gulf coast, telling a news conference that evacuations would take place and residents should “prepare accordingly” for Idalia. US President Joe Biden spoke with DeSantis and approved an emergency declaration for the state, promising it would have his “full support”, a White House spokesperson said. Idalia was set to reach hurricane status as it nears Cuba yesterday, where a hurricane warning was already in place for western Pinar del Rio province, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. It will then…

Libya’s internationally recognised prime minister has dismissed his top diplomat after she met her Israeli counterpart, with news of the encounter triggering demonstrations in a country that does not recognise Israel. Oil-rich Libya, which was plunged into chaos after dictator Muammar Gaddafi was toppled and killed in 2011, has been divided since 2014 between the UN-supported government of Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah in Tripoli and a rival administration based in the country’s east. Angry protesters took to the streets of the capital and other western cities on Sunday night, blocking roads with burning tyres and waving Palestinian flags, after it emerged that Najla al-Mangoush had met her Israeli counterpart in Rome last week. Al-Mangoush was “provisionally suspended and subject to an ‘administrative investigation’,” Dbeibah’s government said, after Israeli Foreign Minister…

Proteas batter Reeza Hendricks has a clear objective in mind at opening the new season: Start the new season in fine style by building on the successful campaign he enjoyed the last time around. The 34-year-old is still on cloud nine after being named the Men’s International T20 Batter of the Year at the Cricket South Africa Awards in July. The story of Hendricks is one of great dedication and resilience. The Kimberly-born cricketer missed out on the 2022 T20 World Cup, an omission he has admitted being difficult to deal with. Now back again and a shoo-in to lead the SA T20 batting line for their upcoming series against Australia, Hendricks is determined to light up the white-ball stage once again. “I think last season was a good one,…

the first few weeks of 2023, that he wanted to make the learners feel more comfortable in his class and demonstrated how he tickled the learners. He stated he had done this in previous years, there were no complaints and he could not recall any of the learners saying they felt uncomfortable. The teacher said that he had no intention of doing anything untoward to the learners and did not want this to end his career after teaching at school for 30 years. Buitendag went through the Code of Professional Ethics contained in section 3 of the Sace, Act 31 of 2000 and found that the teacher “failed dismally to conduct himself in accordance with the ethical standards expected from an educator”. “Educators are entrusted with the care of children…

I’VE SAID this many times – that reading the daily papers is not for the faint hearted. One sees things that stop you in your tracks! Reading about the gentleman who was awarded R3 million plus by the police services (taxpayers’ money) was a case in point. He was obviously charged and imprisoned illegally by the police. I wonder how many others suffer the same fate? He was denied bail. Police were found to have lied. They had conspired to fabricate evidence, his cell was filthy with blood spatters and blankets that were obviously not clean and had vomit on them. He was moved from one prison to another in the luggage area of a Toyota Fortuner. When at the new prison, he was made to strip naked…

THE article on a potential BRICS currency by Mushtak Parker (August 28) omits one important point, as does all the other commentary on this issue. South Africa is already bound by treaty to attempt to unite all the SADC currencies in a common currency. The SADC website shows that the central banks are already a decade behind schedule for this. In turn, the Abuja Treaty of 1991 commits all AU states to unifying their currencies into a continental currency to be named the Afro, modelled on the Euro. Any potential BRICS currency would clash with our existing pan-African treaty commitments.…

THE City’s naming committee has recommended to mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis that the Old Granary building be renamed Desmond and Leah Tutu House. Deputy mayor and chairperson of the naming committee, Eddie Andrews, said the committee met yesterday to discuss the proposal from the City’s Economic Growth Directorate to honour and memorialise the life and work of the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his widow, Leah Tutu. “The naming committee fully supports this initiative, and we have proposed to the mayor that we rename the City-owned building to Desmond and Leah Tutu House, and that the City’s public participation unit (PPU) commences with a participation process to give residents and interested and affected parties the opportunity to comment on this proposal,” he said. Once the mayor has accepted the naming committee’s…

THE family of a 25-year-old woman who was beaten by another woman in a viral video, was joined by supporters outside the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court yesterday where they called for justice. The incident has sparked several conversations about bullying and yesterday crowds of people protested outside court with placards in hand supporting the victim. Anushka Braaf appeared briefly on charges of assault and crimen injuria for allegedly beating up Mishqah Arend. The National Prosecuting Authority said the matter was postponed. “Anushka Braaf appeared at the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court 6. “The matter was postponed to September 6 for further investigation and consultation with the complainant.” Police spokesperson, Joseph Swartbooi said the circumstances leading to this incident are still under investigation. “The complainant alleges that the suspect accused her of…

India’s first space-based observatory to study the sun will be launched on September 2, the country’s space agency said yesterday. The announcement, in a post on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, comes days after India became the first country to land a spacecraft on the unexplored south pole of the moon. The Aditya-L1, India’s first space-based solar probe, aims to study solar winds, which can cause disturbance on earth and are commonly seen as “auroras”. The craft, named after the Hindi word for the sun, will be launched from the country’s main spaceport in Sriharikota using India’s heavy-duty launch vehicle, the PSLV, which will travel about 1.5 million kilometres, the agency said. “The total travel time from launch to L-1 (Langrange point) would take about four months…

BAMAKO: A two-week blockade by Islamist militants has created food and aid shortages in the ancient city of Timbuktu, the mayor and residents said, as security deteriorates across much of northern and eastern Mali. Timbuktu has been surrounded by violence since French forces liberated it from militants in 2013 after an uprising. The unrest, driven by local affiliates of al-Qaeda and Islamic State, has intensified over the past year after the country’s military leaders kicked out French troops, asked UN peacekeepers to leave, and teamed up with Russian private military contractor Wagner Group. A local al-Qaeda affiliate, JNIM, has blocked the roads to Timbuktu since August 13, residents said. | Reuters…

ADvTECH, which owns Trinityhouse and Crawford, yesterday posted robust interim results for the six months ended June 30, 2023, boosted by enrolments and moderate fee increases across all parts of the education division. The private education group said headline earnings per share increased by 24% to 84.3 cents per share, while revenue increased by 16% to R3.9 billion. Operating profit before interest and non-trading items increased by 23% to R754 million. An interim dividend of 30c per share was declared compared to the 23c per share dividend declared for the comparable period. The group achieved a 7% increase in the schools division, 6% growth in South African schools, 10% in the rest of Africa, and 4% in its tertiary. ADvTECH CEO Roy Douglas said: “We think it’s…

THE appointment of the next public protector carries momentous implications for the integrity of our democratic institutions and the faith citizens place in them. Hence, the matter requires a meticulous regard for propriety and legal acumen. It is with profound concern that advocate Kholeka Gcaleka made it on to the shortlist for the role. In recent public interviews, advocate Gcaleka has manifested lapses in her understanding of elemental legal principles —discrepancies that are nothing short of disconcerting for a role that is pivotal to safeguarding the rule of law. Further exacerbating these reservations is the fact that advocate Gcaleka has recently cleared President Cyril Ramaphosa in her Phala-Phala investigations. Should the president proceed with her appointment, it would not only incite concerns over the integrity of the process but may…

THE FORUM of Cape Flats Civics says the call for citizens to record taxi road rage incidents and delinquent road behaviour now makes the public responsible for the City’s enforcement duties and may place them in harm’s way. This after mayco member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, recently said their office had been “inundated with reports of dangerous driving behaviour of minibus taxis continuing, with constant videos been shared as evidence of such”. A Google document was created and shared for residents to record the incidents and submit their photos or videos, along with the date and location. However, the chairperson of the Forum for Cape Flats Civics, Lester September, said the move was a “deflection from the City’s own failures”. “The City’s request is pure obfuscation and deflection…

South Africa’s influential role at the recent BRICS Summit in Joburg should never be undermined and to maintain that level of influence in a bloc that now contains 11 developing nations, the country has to get its house in order and deal with the issues that prevent equality, job creation and attempts to eradicate poverty. President Cyril Ramaphosa had an excellent team, including Naledi Pandor, Minister of the Department of International Relations and Co-operation, who was assisted by the country’s BRICS Sherpa, Ambassador Anil Sooklal, whose work heading up to the summit included foreign minister and Sherpa meetings. The success of the summit was highlighted by the expansion outcomes and there has been all-round praise for the substantive outcomes, as adopted by the heads of state in the Johannesburg II…

Record levels of government debt, geopolitical tensions that threaten to split the global trading system, and the likely persistence of weak productivity gains may saddle the world with a slow-growth future that stunts development in some countries even before it starts. That sobering view of a post-pandemic global economy emerged from research organised by the Kansas City Federal Reserve and debated in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, this past weekend. It explored issues like the outlook for technological innovation, public debt, and the state of international trade at a time when the Russian invasion of Ukraine and conflict between the US and China have eroded a once-broad global agreement to boost the free flow of goods and services. “Countries are now in a more fragile environment. They’ve used a lot of their…

Thousands of people across Pakistan have taken to the streets to protest against soaring electricity bills and high taxes imposed by the government at a time when surviving high inflation has become impossible for the common man. The angry protesters also burnt thousands of electricity bills during the demonstrations against the government’s high electricity tariffs and taxes. “This government has made it impossible for a common man with a small family to run their household expenses, by increasing prices of everything that is a basic necessity. “Now, they send us bills with towering tariffs and taxes. Imagine a house which has two fans and three lights, but the bill is over 20 000 PKR (about R1 225). “This is unacceptable and we will protest until this deliberate attempt to suck…

Proteas spin kingpin Tabraiz Shamsi has waved away any concerns of complacency as the team prepares to face Australia before the Cricket World Cup. The Aussies will tussle with the Proteas in a three-match T20 International series starting tomorrow - with all three games at Kingsmead in Durban - before both teams tour the country for the five-match One-Day International leg. With a couple of their usual ‘big guns’ given a break for the upcoming games, suggestions of prioritising the ODI World Cup have surfaced with a few new faces introduced to the national team set-up. The global spectacle will take place in India from October 5. Shamsi, now 33, revealed that both contests will take equal significance, while expressing a great desire to clinch a win against one…