Table of contents for 2023-10-26 in Cape Times

This spooky season sees the 19th annual South African Horrorfest Film Festival and Halloween event erupt in cinema at the Labia Theatre and across the country via streaming. Organisers have curated a range of movies and short films from around the world, with a dozen movies and a short film collection at the Labia Theatre, and 14 movies and five feature length short film collections in the virtual streaming chapter, which will be accessible countrywide. Some of the cinema highlights include The Makabra Ensemble's live soundtrack performance to the classic 1928 silent French adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall Of The House Of Usher, with tech support by Paul Bothner Music. This is also the Halloween dress-up night, with a prize for the best dressed. The Halloween Market meanwhile…

THE standing committee on public accounts will seek concurrence from National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula for the summoning of a retired police general who has refused to appear before the committee. This comes after Scopa decided yesterday to summon retired brigadier Jap Burger, who was assigned by SAPS commissioner Fannie Masemola to meet former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter after he made allegations about corruption involving cartels, syndicates and implicated senior politicians. Two weeks ago, Burger was given another chance to appear after turning down earlier requests. In June, Masemola told the Scopa that Burger had concerns about appearing publicly including safety concerns. It turned out that Burger wrote to Mapisa-Nqakula, citing his non-attendance to the meeting due to Eskom being a national key point and Scopa not having a…

Police probe kidnapping claims after miners surface from Gold One mine THE Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) has maintained that there was no hostage situation despite police now investigating kidnapping and assault as more than 500 miners yesterday surfaced from Gold One’s Modder East Operations in Springs following three days underground. Mine workers had been underground since Sunday, following a “sit-in protest” organised by AMCU, with some workers reportedly held underground against their will. By yesterday the situation became tense as concern grew about the well-being and safety of those underground, with initial reports indicating a hostage situation. A Joint Operational Centre was set up by police, including hostage negotiators and the tactical response team. Around 6am, 107 miners made their way to the surface. At the time…

SOUTH African astronomer Dr Vanessa McBride has achieved a remarkable milestone by being appointed science director at the International Science Council (ISC) in Paris. The prestigious position recognises her significant contributions to the scientific community, particularly her work with the Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD), a collaborative effort of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa. The OAD, supported by the Department of Science and Innovation, reflects a concerted effort to harness astronomy for sustainable global development. McBride, from the town of Cradock in the Eastern Cape, will now rub shoulders with the most distinguished scientists from around the world. Following her early education in Cradock, she pursued her passion for physics at UCT. Her journey then led to a stint at…

Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) has cautioned outdoor enthusiasts against the expected summer conditions, as they responded to a surge of distress calls at the weekend. In one incident on Sunday, a small team onboard the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness EMS / Air Mercy Service (AMS) rescue helicopter was flown to Hoogekraal Farm near Durbanville after a mountain biker fell and injured himself. The 48-year-old was descending Cobra, Hoogekraal’s most technical mountain biking track when he fell. According to Trailforks, the trail is rated as “black diamond" and is revered for its tight switchbacks, rock gardens and a tricky rock slab into a tight corner. “A call for help was made to the emergency number – 021 937 0300. “The rescue team were hoisted down to a…

As history repeats itself 28 years later when the Springboks take on the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup final in France on Saturday, lessons from South Africa’s past took centre stage at a conference on social cohesion in sports, arts and culture. Overcoming Apartheid: Nelson Mandela and the Rugby 1995 World Cup, was hosted in partnership with the José Cabanis Media Library and Samba Résille in Toulouse last week. The conference provided an analysis of post-apartheid politics to its recent developments. At the invitation of Toulouse’s mayor, Jean-Luc Moudenc, Artscape CEO Marlene le Roux, said the Artscape Theatre was showcased as a case study on how a state theatre used the arts as a vehicle to foster peace and common values for peace. “For five years, Artscape has…

THE DA’s silence and failure to distance itself from its MP Glynnis Breytenbach’s distasteful remarks towards acting public protector advocate Kholeka Gcaleka could barely come as a surprise for a party that saw nothing wrong with its leader’s disparaging comments about his ex-wife. Instead the DA’s Women’s Network jumped to John Steenhuisen’s defence when he used words we refuse to repeat in this editorial out of respect for those affected. A party that takes the plight of women in this country seriously wouldn’t have hesitated in reprimanding him and demanding that he withdraw his statement and apologise. Brytenbach’s vitriolic attack on Gcaleka last week insinuating that her ascendance to the top was a result of her being in a relationship with her boss while at the National Prosecuting Authority, and…

Hurricane Otis was downgraded to a Category 4 storm after making landfall near Mexico’s Pacific beach resort of Acapulco yesterday, although it was still generating “damaging” winds and a “life-threatening” storm surge, according to US forecasters. The hurricane was packing maximum sustained winds of 210km/h and had made landfall earlier yesterday as a “potentially catastrophic” Category 5 storm, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. The storm had rapidly strengthened to the most powerful category of the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale as it neared land, but began weakening once it made landfall. “Catastrophic damage likely where the core of the hurricane moves onshore,” the NHC had warned. During Category 5 winds, “a high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse”, the Hurricane Center wrote.…

Carnival Corp’s Australian unit has been ordered to pay the medical expenses of a woman who contracted Covid-19, with a judge ruling that the cruise ship operator misled passengers about safety risks in a landmark class action ruling. The decision from Australia’s Federal Court is the first class action win against a cruise ship operator in the world, according to Shine Lawyers, who represent about 1 000 Australian plaintiffs in the suit. Justice Angus Stewart found Carnival Australia misled passengers about the measures it had in place to keep passengers from contracting the virus and that it should have cancelled the March 2020 return voyage from Sydney to New Zealand. Lead plaintiff Susan Karpik was awarded A$4 423.48 for out-of-pocket medical expenses but no damages. Legal filings show the operator…

KYIV: President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday that Ukraine would strike back against Russia this winter and not only be on the defensive if Moscow conducts an air campaign aimed at crippling the national power grid. Ukraine fears Russia plans to bomb key energy infrastructure to demoralise the population. Millions of Ukrainians faced sweeping power cuts and other outages last winter as Russia attacked power facilities with missiles and drones. Russia, which has called energy infrastructure a legitimate target, conducted regular long-range strikes using strategic bombers and warships. Although it does not have such long-range armaments, Ukraine has increased its strike capabilities. | Reuters…

Nairobi: Kenya’s central bank chief has said that the country’s currency, trading at record lows, has been overvalued for several years. The Kenyan shilling this week slipped to more than 150 to the dollar, a decline of almost 24% over a year, and compared to about 100 in October 2018. Central Bank of Kenya governor Kamau Thugge said that five or six years ago, financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank had considered the shilling overvalued by 20% to 25%. The shilling’s sharp depreciation has added to the country’s cost-of-living crisis and the imposition of a range of new or increased taxes. | AFP…

The Irishman in the Springboks’ midst, Felix Jones, says it is hard for him to describe the energy that the Boks draws from their supporters in South Africa but he says they most certainly will be drawing from it in Saturday’s World Cup final against New Zealand. The word Jones is looking for is “gees”, (spirit) and he says it is unique in world rugby. “I can just say Springbok rugby gets the whole country behind their team and over here in France, we feel that support. We have drawn on it in this World Cup and we will be drawing on it again this weekend,” he said from Paris yesterday. The weather forecast for Saturday suggests rain and that is likely to mean a change in starting halfbacks for…

South Africa’s game-plans have worked wonders thus far in the ongoing World Cup but there are holes that stronger teams are likely to expose. And with powerhouses New Zealand and India still looming ahead next week, the Proteas have improvements to make. We looked at two areas of improvement that the South Africans should focus on ... Chasing scores down The Proteas have beaten Sri Lanka by a mammoth 102 runs, Australia by 134 runs, England by 229 runs and Bangladesh by 149 runs. These results were on the back of big totals batting first: 428/5 against Sri Lanka, 311/7 against Australia, 399/7 against England and 382/5 against Bangladesh. Quinton de Kock has been in fine form, hitting three hundreds, while Heinrich Klaasen came alive with a thrilling…

The Cape Town Arts Festival, formerly the Cape Town Festival, returns in December. Held against the backdrop of the Castle of Good Hope, the festival will include live music performances, poetry readings, storytelling, Zumba, yoga, tai chi, live painting, art exhibitions, visual art installations, workshops, sculpting, food markets, and a Cape craft exhibition. Festival chief executive Yusuf Ganief said: “The Cape Town Arts Festival stands as a testament to community arts for community well-being, with a mission to upskill, nurture and spotlight community artists within their own neighbourhoods, and recognise their exceptional contributions by showcasing them on the main festival stage – a meeting ground for emerging and established artists.” The first musical act set to appear at the event is South African hip hop artist Dee Koala, who is…

PUBLIC Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan said yesterday he was not resigning until he finished his term despite some of the failures in his portfolio. “I am not going anywhere until the end of this term. I accepted responsibility and that is why there are changes in the board (of SOES) where appropriate. We act when it is necessary,” Gordhan said. He was responding to DA MP Farhat Essack during the oral question session in the National Assembly on whether he has taken any steps to investigate the circumstances that led to black executives leaving state-owned enterprises without completing their terms. Essack suggested in his follow-up question that the resignations were indicative of political meddling, failure of broad-based BEE and shockingly poor governance under Gordhan’s watch. He said it was time…

OVER the past few decades, there has been increased recognition of the importance of creating societies that are more inclusive for people with disabilities. One avenue through which this has occurred is through the design of toys particularly dolls or characters that are intended to ‘represent’ people with disabilities. For example, toy agencies have produced dolls with prosthetic legs, Lego characters in wheelchairs, and teddies with one arm shorter than the other. Agencies have also produced characters to represent a person with autism, and more recently, on April 30, 2023, Mattel launched the first Down syndrome Barbie, which subsequently hit South African stores on October 19. The importance of such investments that move an inclusive agenda forward is uncontested. Launching the Down syndrome Barbie has certainly challenged the age-old narrative…

Hong Kong leader John Lee said yesterday that the semi-autonomous city would create its own national security law next year, four years after Beijing imposed sweeping legislation aimed at silencing dissent. The Beijing-anointed leader unveiled measures aimed at revitalising Hong Kong’s Covid-ravaged economy and flagging population growth, while asserting the need to protect the Chinese city from “external forces”. “Some countries are undermining China and the implementation of ‘one country, two systems’ in Hong Kong for their own benefits,” he said, referring to the governance model agreed by Britain and China under which the city would keep some autonomy following the 1997 handover. “We must guard against those seeking to provoke conflict... and remain alert to acts of ‘soft resistance’ in different forms,” said Lee. Massive anti-government protests rocked the…

Brussels: Polish opposition leader Donald Tusk vowed yesterday to “rebuild” ties with Brussels as he met EU chief Ursula von der Leyen after claiming victory in an election to end years of populist rule. The former head of the European Council is looking to become Poland’s next prime minister after his liberal coalition won a majority against the ruling Law and Justice party, under which Poland’s relations with the EU’s institutions plummeted. Tusk pledged to resurrect ties and to unblock €35 billion in EU funds frozen over judicial reforms. | AFP…

Geneva: The number of people worldwide living in forced displacement from their homes is estimated to have exceeded 114 million, the UN said yesterday. The main drivers in the first half of this year were the conflicts in Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of Congo; a prolonged humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan; and a combination of drought, floods and insecurity in Somalia, UN said. In its Mid-Year Trends Report, which analyses forced displacement during the first six months of 2023, UN said that by the end of June, 110 million people had been forcibly displaced worldwide. This was up 1.6 million from last year. | AFP…

LONDON: Two UK police officers committed gross misconduct during when the stopped British sprinter Bianca Williams in London, a disciplinary hearing found yesterday. Williams, a European and Commonwealth 100m gold medallist, accused the Metropolitan Police of racial profiling after she was stopped three years ago. The force, Britain’s largest, later apologised after she disclosed that she and her partner, the Portuguese 400m runner Ricardo dos Santos, had been repeatedly stopped. The couple were handcuffed and their car was searched in July 2020 in London’s Maida Vale area but nothing was found. Their child was in the car at the time. | AFP…

When the year started, the North West Dragons were fighting to keep their place in division one and they came close to being relegated to the lower tier. Just months later, the Craig Alexander-led Dragons are preparing for a division one final after what has been a turnaround for the ages. For those who follow domestic cricket, the achievement comes with little surprise. Alexander started this turnaround during the winter break, when he had an opportunity to sign new players and build a new, motivated team. He brought some of South Africa’s top talents to Potchefstroom, including Raynard van Tonder (Knights), Wihan Lubbe (Warriors) and Meeka-eel Prince (Western Province). Since then, the Dragons have looked a totally different team – motivated and hungry for trophies. “When I got the…

Underestimated and under-appreciated, Ian Foster is one win away from becoming the fourth coach to deliver New Zealand a World Cup title – but it would be a bittersweet triumph for a man long since judged unfit to carry on in the role. Whether the All Blacks win or lose against the Springboks in Saturday’s final, Foster will be out the door to make way for Scott Robertson, the succession foisted upon him more than five months before the tournament kicked off. Foster can expect tributes and thanks from New Zealand Rugby (NZR) bosses when making his exit, some 12 years after joining the All Black set-up as an assistant to Graham Henry. Most will ring hollow. The 58-year-old spoke in February of wanting “another crack” at the job if…

ELEVEN South African and three international mural artists will participate in the Cape Town leg of the PangeaSeed Foundation’s renowned public art programme Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans. Sea Walls: South Africa, presented by the Save Our Seas Foundation, will start on Monday, when a visceral procession of ocean creatures and flora will begin to appear on the side of 14 buildings around Cape Town to make an indelible mark in the fight to protect the oceans. Heading to Cape Town for the inaugural Sea Walls project in Africa will be Antonio Segura, aka DULK, a native of Spain famous for his surreal depictions of threatened animals. DULK and Germany’s Yeye Weller, whose powerful cartoon style has attracted clients such as Warner Bros and the New York Times, will join…

MUSIC is My Life – Joseph Shabalala and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a directorial debut documentary feature produced by veteran filmmaker Carolyn Carew from Free Women Films and directed by Soweto-born director Mpumi “Supa” Mbele, has secured South Africa’s submission for the Academy Awards. This is the first time a documentary has been selected since South Africa began submitting films for nomination in the international feature film category in the annual Academy Awards since 1989. The documentary was recently announced as the National Film and Video Foundation’s (NFVF’s) international feature film submission for the 96th Annual Academy Awards. Shining a spotlight on the legendary Shabalala, Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s frontman, the film explores his rise to international fame with his iconic isicathamiya acapella group following their musical contributions to Paul Simon’s award-winning…

HUMAN rights organisation #Africa4Palestine has called on other halaal certification bodies to follow the Muslim Judicial Council’s Halaal Trust (MJCHT) lead in adopting a policy position to decline, refuse and not certify any goods or services emanating from Israel. In a statement yesterday, the SA-based certification body MJCHT said it commits itself to ethical business practices in line with international law and human rights. “As part of this commitment, the MJCHT declines the certification of any goods or services emanating from Israel. The MJCHT, furthermore, declines the certification of any Israeli based companies or their directly controlled foreign subsidiaries,” the MJCHT said. #Africa4Palestine welcomed the resolution. “The MJCHT has adopted a policy position to decline, refuse and not certify any goods or services emanating from Israel – to boycott all…

THOUSANDS of visitors have flocked to the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) for Propak Cape to learn about the latest packaging and related industry trends and to connect with just under 200 exhibitors displaying thousands of new products and innovations. Propak Cape, which opened on Tuesday, has been billed as the trade show to visit for those looking for the latest machinery, products and services that will streamline their business, boost production, improve efficiency, and assist with reducing costs. Today is the final day of the show, doors open from 9am to 5pm. “Technologies have greatly advanced over the past few years and exhibitors are showcasing their latest cutting-edge innovation supporting the packaging, food processing, plastics, printing, labelling and related industries,” organisers said. Visitors to the show have…

THIRTY-SEVEN roads remain closed in the province due to damage from the storms and ensuing flooding that hit parts of the province over the Heritage long weekend. Premier Alan Winde and provincial government officials yesterday provided an update on the efforts to repair and reopen roads and other infrastructure, which were severely damaged. Immediately after the adverse weather system in September, 154 roads had to be closed. This included sections of the N2 and N1, making relief and rescue work difficult. “Thanks to the work of the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure (DOI), this number is now down to 37 roads. Steady progress is being made to reopen all affected roads,” Winde said. Clarence Drive remains closed, but it is currently possible to travel from Gordon’s Bay to the “The…

They were a colonial tool to narrate white supremacist ideology ARE museums the correct correctors? What moral authority do they have over issues of restitution and the unfolding politics of return? These questions come as museums with colonial baggage all over the world are being taken to task for the role they have played in perpetuating colonial crimes. Some of the oldest museums have in their collections skeletal remains of the vanquished communities who were deemed lesser human beings solely on the basis of their languages or darker skin pigmentation. In the colonial context, the two – language and darker skin colour – were exploited as signifiers and markers of difference between the “civilised” and “uncivilised”. In this unequal distribution of power relations between the settler and indigenous communities, to…

Israel intensified its overnight bombing of southern Gaza, where officials said record numbers of Palestinians were killed again, as violence flared elsewhere in the Middle East and a showdown loomed at the UN yesterday over desperately needed aid. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled from north to south in the tiny, crowded enclave after Israel warned them it would bombard the north, including Gaza City, to wipe out Hamas after its killing and kidnapping spree in Israel on October 7. The Palestinian death toll now exceeds 6 500, Gaza’s health ministry said yesterday. Palestinian anger over the toll has been inflamed further by a sense of betrayal as many of those who heeded Israel’s call to move south are also being killed. The Israeli military says that Hamas, which seized…

Japan’s top court ruled yesterday that a legal clause requiring people to undergo sterilisation surgery if they want to legally change their gender is unconstitutional. While rights groups welcomed the verdict, a decision by the judges to ask a lower court to deliberate on a separate clause, requiring that the genital organs of people who want to change their gender resemble those of the opposite gender, was met with disappointment. Some lawmakers and women’s groups in Japan had said a ruling that challenges the existing law would sow confusion and undermine women’s rights. The Supreme Court threw out a similar bid to scrap the sterilisation requirement in 2019. Japanese law states that people who want to change gender must present a diagnosis of gender dysphoria and meet five requirements: being…

AMMAN: Queen Rania of Jordan said yesterday that the West was applying “glaring double standards” to the situation in the Middle East, as it was supporting Israel and ignoring the deaths of civilians in the Gaza Strip. “This is the first time in modern history that there is such human suffering and the world is not even calling for a ceasefire. So the silence is deafening, and to many in our region it makes the Western world complicit,” the queen told CNN. She also said people across the Middle East were shocked by the fact that “the world immediately and unequivocally stood by Israel and its right to defend itself” after the October 7 attacks by Hamas, but Western countries had decided to keep silent about the deaths of…

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden welcomed Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to the White House yesterday to discuss maritime and cybersecurity defence as they co-ordinate their China strategy while separately seeking to ease tensions with Beijing. Australia is a key US ally in the Pacific and the visit comes as a crisis rages in the Middle East. The visit is expected to result in agreements aimed at deterring and competing with China. The expected deals include launching an undersea internet cable project and maritime wharf infrastructure investment, US officials said. The countries are partners in a collective defense agreement. | Reuters…