Table of contents for 2024-01-23 in Cape Times

from page 1 “Mixing fuels is dangerous to an engine. “It has the potential to cause loss and damage to an engine and is very concerning for motorists and for the AA if that does happen,” said Beard. Meanwhile, the DA in the province called on Mantashe to name the four petrol stations in the Western Cape which are allegedly selling altered fuel. DA Western Cape spokesperson on Mobility, Derrick America, said they were concerned that four petrol stations in the province “are engaged in the illicit practice of selling watered-down diesel mixed with illuminated paraffin”. “Mantashe must ensure these petrol stations are named so that residents of the Western Cape can be made aware of the stations that are selling fake diesel. Not only are these fake diesel fuels…

Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) says it’s optimising and leveraging existing infrastructure and resources for a more efficient system at the Port of Durban, which will also see truck congestion being reduced. TPT said that one of the initiatives, which forms part of the overall plan to deal with the ongoing vessel backlog at the harbour, was to make use of an existing rail link between back-of-port facilities to the terminal for the loading of import containers. It said the railing of containers to back-of-port facilities from places like Johannesburg or Mpumalanga to the port terminal was a daily occurrence. However, once these trains dropped off their export containers at the port terminals, the trains returned to the back-of-port facilities empty. The Durban Container Terminal Pier 2 decided to make use…

‘Decades-long neglect’: Province lambasted after coming in at 5th place The DA’s Western Cape’s exceptionalism myth has been shattered by the drop in National Senior Certificate rankings after the matric pass rate regressed from third to fifth place out of the nine provinces, over a three-year period. This is according to opposition parties who blasted the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) following the release of the matric results last week showing Free State at the top, with an 89.0% pass rate, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 86.4%, Gauteng at 85.4%, North West at 81.6% and Western Cape with 81.5%. In 2022, the Western Cape was in fourth place with 81.4%, and in 2021 the province achieved an 81.2% pass rate, in third place nationally. The Western Cape, however, produced not…

A MOTHER was given the green light by the Gauteng High Court, Joburg, to relocate with her daughter to Kenya after the child’s father did everything he could to prevent this – though he does not meet his responsibilities of paying maintenance towards his daughter. During 2009 to 2012, the parties were in a relationship, however they never married. They had a daughter to- gether, who is now 12 years old. The child attends a private school in Joburg and is a top performer at school. The mother told the court that she has been solely re- sponsible for her care. The child lives with the mother, her husband and her half-sister. The…

PET insurer Dotsure says it stands by its advert of a heroic pet named “Kei” who was shot by an intruder while trying to save his family, despite an Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) ruling which ordered it to withdraw or amend the ad. According to Dotsure, the ad was based on true events widely covered in the news, celebrating Kei, who was shot by an intruder while defending his family during a break-in. In the advert, the Lamont family recall the incident and the emotional journey that followed. The ruling was made following two complaints. The first raised issue with the description of the event being detailed, saying it triggered those who were in the same situation. “They play the sound of the dog being shot and the dog crying…

The recent revelation by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) that 14 municipal water authorities in South African failed to provide any data on water testing for the 2021/22 financial year is deeply troubling. However, the subsequent decision by the DWS to take tough action against these negligent municipal water authorities is commendable. It is unacceptable that these municipalities have neglected their responsibility to ensure the safety and quality of the water supplied to their communities. Regular water testing is a fundamental requirement to guarantee that the water is fit for human consumption, and failure to comply with this obligation poses serious risks to public health. Therefore, the call for tough sanctions, including the withdrawal of licences, is entirely justified. Furthermore, these negligent municipalities should be named and shamed…

To comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in the EU, Meta yesterday announced that users will be able to unlink their Instagram and Facebook accounts as well as other services. The Mark Zuckerberg-run company said it is offering more choices to people using Instagram and Facebook in the EU, European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland about how they can use its services and features, as the DMA enters into force in March. The changes mean users in the EU will be able to use Meta’s services without their information being shared between them. People who have already chosen to connect their Instagram and Facebook accounts will be able to continue to connect their accounts so that their information will be used across their Instagram and Facebook accounts. “They can…

Exeter: Television’s Judge Judy Sheindlin delivered her verdict on White House hopeful Nikki Haley ahead of New Hampshire’s make-or-break US Republican primary vote, calling her “the real deal”. Haley is the last standing rival to front-runner Donald Trump in the race to secure the party’s nomination to challenge President Joe Biden in November’s election. But she is 15 points behind in polling. Sheindlin told Haley supporters in Exeter that she had been “apolitical” but concern for the future prompted her to contact Haley. | AFP…

Tehran: Hundreds of mourners gathered yesterday in Tehran for the funerals of Revolutionary Guards killed in Syria, in what Iran called an Israeli strike. It was the latest incident adding to fears of wider conflagration during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The strike in Damascus on Saturday killed five members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the military force said, including the group’s intelligence chief for Syria and his deputy. Mourners carried aloft coffins bearing victims, draped in colours of the Iranian flag, before a stage bearing pictures of IRGC General Qassem Soleimani who was killed three years ago by the US. | AFP…

ANKARA: At least nine bodies have washed ashore on Türkiye’s southern coast in the past week, reports said yesterday, with officials suspecting that most belonged to migrants who went missing in December. Three bodies were found yesterday on the Mediterranean Sea shores of Antalya near Mugla, bringing the total number to nine. Local officials are weighing the possibility that most drifted ashore after a boat carrying 90 migrants sank in the Mediterranean last month, the governor’s office said.The Lebanese embassy in Ankara on December 11 reported the disappearance of a boat that had sailed from between Lebanon and Syria towards Cyprus. | AFP…

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has lifted the lid on his side’s pre-game tactical set-up that saw his side claim their first win at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. The South African national team bounced back from defeat in their opening match against Mali with an emphatic 4-0 win over neighbours Namibia, restoring their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the competition. Broos and his men received huge criticism after their loss against Mali based on the tactical decisions that led to their second-half demise. However, the wiry Belgian showed his experience and tactical prowess in this encounter as he made personnel and formation changes, a decision that worked wonders as Bafana scored three unanswered goals in the first half. The 2017 Afcon winner detailed the…

There’s still a long way to go before Bafana Bafana can raise their hand as one of the challengers for the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations finals. But if their performance in the emphatic 4-0 win against neighbours Namibia is anything to go by, then they are surely headed in the right direction. Namibia would have been the more confident of the two sides going into the match, having beaten Tunisia in their opener (their first win in four Afcon finals). Bafana, the 1996 champions, had their work cut out for them. They had started their campaign on a low, losing 2-0 to Mali on Tuesday last week. But Broos’ men, like they have been doing over the years, didn’t disappoint against the Brave Warriors, thanks to Themba Zwane’s brace,…

THE CHANGING face of global supply chains demands a new kind of professional – one who is not only a custodian of procurement and logistics, but also a steward of sustainability. The constant changes occurring in the logistics space point to a sector different from what people might have imagined 10 years ago. I believe the supply chain landscape is at a crossroads as traditional paradigms are being disrupted by digitisation. Once characterised by linear processes and limited connectivity, supply chains are experiencing a seismic shift as they embrace the power of the technologies. The transformation is not merely a modernisation of age-old practices; it signifies a reimagining of how goods are produced, distributed and consumed. Moreover, the infusion of data analytics, artificial intelligence, and the internet of things into…

AMID the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers recently installed solar panels in the Rafah camp which houses displaced families in Gaza to help them power their cellphones and restore communication and connectivity. The conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to severe impacts on food, water and shelter for the local population. UN agencies have warned of famine and disease as Gazans, at least 1.7 million of whom are displaced, struggle with shortages of water, medical care and other essentials during daily bombardment. It’s also disrupted communications. The disruption in communication, exacerbated by Israeli bombardment and the displacement of Gazans, hindered people's ability to connect with loved ones and access essential resources. Additionally, these communication blackouts were impeding aid organisations, emergency workers, and journalists in their…

500g minced meat. You may use beef, lamb, chicken or mutton. 1 tsp salt or to taste 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp cumin/jeera powder 1 tsp coriander/koljana powder 1 tsp chilli flakes, optional Handful of breadcrumbs 1kg puff pastry Egg for egg wash Mix all the ingredients together, except for the puff pastry and egg, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out the pastry into a thin rectangle. Fill with the mincemeat, (make two thin rolls and place the meat along opposite sides of the pastry.) Cut the pastry in half. Then fold or roll the pastry over the mince tightly. Secure with a bit of the egg wash. Cut in mini size rolls. Freeze for later use or brush with…

They dared not make the direct case against him for fear of antagonising his supporters THE handful of ANC supporters who have not succumbed to the cult of Jacob Zuma that is threatening to destroy the party at the polls cling to one last hope. They are crossing their fingers that the ex-president’s march to his uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party’s nomination as its face on the ballot paper will come to a halt following the Electoral Commission’s announcement last Wednesday that Zuma cannot be a public representative or the president of the country after this year’s general elections because of his criminal record. But it is a thin hope. Even if the Constitution bars anyone convicted and sentenced to more than 12 months imprisonment without an option of a fine…

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday that the US was committed to deeper relations with Africa despite global crises as he opened a trip in the shadow of coups and the rising influence of Russia and China on the continent. Blinken is touring four democracies on the Atlantic Coast – Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Angola – as security deteriorates in the Sahel and doubts grow about a key US base in coup-hit Niger. President Joe Biden welcomed African leaders in 2022 in a show of newfound US attention to the continent. But Biden failed to live up to a promise to visit last year and Blinken’s trip is his first to sub-Saharan Africa in 10 months as he has been consumed since October with the Israel-Hamas war.…

Dozens of people were buried and eight confirmed killed when a landslide struck a remote and mountainous part of southwestern China yesterday. The pre-dawn landslide buried 18 homes and sparked the evacuation of more than 200 people when it struck in Zhenxiong County, Yunnan province, state media said. Eight people are confirmed dead and rescuers have extracted four, according to a report by state broadcaster CCTV. Two hundred rescue workers have been dispatched as well as dozens of fire engines and other equipment. And as temperatures plunged last night, dozens were still trapped. Rescuers are “using all kinds of tools to search for survivors”, reports said. Chinese President Xi Jinping had ordered that rescue forces be organised quickly, the broadcaster reported. CCTV broadcast an image it said showed a firefighter…

Kraków: Elon Musk visited Auschwitz and was due to address anti-Semitism online at an event in Poland yesterday, just weeks after sparking a firestorm by endorsing an anti-Jewish conspiracy theory on his social media platform X. The European Jewish Association (EJA) said Musk laid a wreath and participated in a memorial service during a private visit to the former death camp alongside EJA’s chairperson, Rabbi Menachem Margolin. Musk apologised last year after responding “the actual truth” to a post on X echoing a conspiracy theory among white supremacists which prompted advertisers to pause ads on the platform. The symposium comes before the 79th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on January 27, a date that has become Holocaust Memorial Day. | AFP…

Berlin: The co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party says the UK’s Brexit referendum was an example to follow for the EU’s most populous country. “It’s a model for Germany,” Alice Weidel said. The AfD wanted to curb the power of the European Commission. But if the changes sought by the AfD could not be realised, “we could have a referendum on ‘Dexit’ – a German exit from the EU”, she said. The AfD is at 22% in national opinion polls, ahead of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats on 13% and behind only the conservative CDU-CSU. Its electoral test will come at the European Parliament elections in June. | AFP…

Proteas Women’s all-rounder Chloé Tryon is thrilled to be back with the national team ahead of their eagerly awaited series against Australia. The Proteas are Down Under for a full tour that features a T20 International (T20I) and One-Day International (ODI) series as well as a one-off Test match. Tryon has not been part of the Proteas squad since the home series against New Zealand in October, helping the team secure a 2-1 ODI series win before drawing the rain-affected T20Is 1-1. Unfortunately, the all-rounder sustained a groin injury playing for the Sydney Sixers in Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) that ruled her out of the national side’s home encounters against Bangladesh last month. But after an extensive rehabilitation programme she is ready for easily the toughest tour in…

India’s Virat Kohli will miss the first two Tests against England due to “personal reasons”, the country’s cricket board said yesterday. The Board of Control for Cricket in India will name a replacement soon with the opening Test of the five-match series starting on Thursday in Hyderabad. “Virat has spoken to captain Rohit Sharma, the team management and the selectors and has emphasised that while representing the country has always been his top priority, certain personal situations demand his presence and undivided attention,” the BCCI said in a statement. “The BCCI respects his decision and the board and team management has extended its support to the star batter and is confident in the abilities of the remaining squad members to step up and deliver commendable performances in the Test series.”…

from page 1 of the DA spin. The social evils are not being addressed in those communities and there’s no sense of equity and people don’t live with dignity. Our education results are giving us key pointers in that regard,” he said. Education MEC David Maynier said they were pleased their pass rate had increased, “especially given the challenges we faced last year”. “Our matrics, their teachers and their parents have worked together to achieve this result, and we are so proud of them. Far from the divide between schools increasing, in our province the factual evidence shows that the education inequality gap is decreasing: in particular, our lower quintile schools in the poorest communities continue to increase their pass and bachelors rates. If we look at Metro East for…

THREE major political parties will launch their manifestos at Durban Moses Mabhida stadium from next month, in anticipation of a hotly contested national general elections especially in KwaZulu-Natal. The ANC (February 24) EFF (February 10) and IFP (March 10) have promised to fill up the stadium in a show of strength with the IEC suggesting May 22 as a possible election date. President Cyril Ramaphosa will officially promulgate the election date after discussions with the electoral body and by law he can announce a date between May and August. The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal yesterday said it is expecting to easily fill the stadium and is considering an alternative stadium to accommodate the overflow of supporters from KZN and nationally. Spokesperson Mafika Mndebele said they were expecting 70 000 supporters at…

MFULENI schools facing major overcrowding challenges are making the most of not having enough classrooms with children crammed into desks and a hall. About 111 Grade 8 pupils who have been divided into three large groups are being taught inside a hall at Mfuleni High School. When the Cape Times visited the school yesterday, one teacher was trying to juggle teaching two groups of pupils in the hall, while others who were placed on the stage were waiting for their turn to be taught. “We are hoping that the department will sort out this issue with the urgency it requires. At this stage I can’t even say these children are learning properly or we are teaching effectively. It is also difficult to discipline them, but we are trying our best…

DIVORCE can be a costly matter, especially if the parties knit-pick every aspect of the proceedings. A woman, who asked the court to order her estranged husband to contribute nearly R2.5 million towards her legal fees, found this out in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria. This is especially the position if both parties are using senior counsel for their drawn-out divorce, the court heard. The woman earlier obtained an order that her husband had to contribute R30 000 towards her legal costs. She now returned to court to ask for an order that the husband pay a further contribution towards her legal costs in the sum of R2 441 846. This is for the legal costs that the applicant allegedly incurred up to and including the first day of the…

THE two standout takeaways from the 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Kampala in Uganda over the past few days have been a clarion call for an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s brutal onslaught against the Palestinians in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank, and the urgent reform of UN, especially the Security Council, to make it fit for purpose in global governance. While the latter has been a quadrennial feature of NAM summits since its establishment in 1961, based on the Bandung Principles of non-alignment of developing countries with or against any major power bloc, of its founding fathers – India’s Jawaharlal Nehru, Yugoslavia’s Josip Broz Tito, Indonesia’s Sukarno, Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah and Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser – the plight of the Palestinians, after 76 years since the founding of the…

The Israeli army bombarded Khan Yunis, the latest epicentre of the war in Gaza, yesterday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected what he said were Hamas conditions for the release of hostages, even amid mounting pressure from their families. Witnesses reported deadly strikes overnight in Khan Yunis, the largest city in southern Gaza, and fierce fighting between Israeli soldiers and Hamas militants. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza reported yesterday that more than 120 people had been killed in the previous 24 hours. “Artillery shelling has not stopped since 5am,” said Yunis Abdel Razek, 52, who was sheltering with his family at the city’s al-Aqsa University. “We can’t leave the university ... it’s dangerous and I fear for the little ones,” he said. “They said the Al-Mawasi area was safe…

Tens of thousands of people across the UK and Ireland were without power yesterday after Storm Isha lashed the countries with strong winds and heavy rain, disrupting travel networks. Gusts of 59km/h were recorded in northeast England as the whole of UK was subject to weather warnings for its ninth named storm since September. The high winds felled three trees and damaged several others in Northern Ireland. Isha follows Storm Henk, which crashed into the UK earlier this month, causing widespread flooding and disruption to train services and roads. In Ireland, which was hit badly by Isha, at least 235 000 homes endured power cuts. Another 45 000 people were without electricity in Northern Ireland, while several thousand properties went dark in northwest England and Wales. Felled trees in Scotland…

WASHINGTON: the US Federal Aviation Administration has recommended that airlines inspect door plugs on Boeing 737-900ER jets after a blow-out on another type of aircraft with a similar mid-cabin exit earlier this month. The aviation regulator said operators “are encouraged to conduct a visual inspection”. The move follows the near-catastrophic mid-flight loss of a cabin door on an Alaska Airlines-operated 737 MAX on January 5. In response, US regulators grounded 171 jets from the 737 MAX 9 fleet with the same configuration as the plane involved in the incident. The affected door plug panel was not affixed adequately, reported investigators. | AFP…

Colombo: A Sri Lankan political party leader was killed yesterday along with four others, authorities said, in a rare drive-by shooting. Police said the motive was unclear, but that Saman Perera, chairperson of the Our Power of People Party, appeared to be the main target of the attack. Perera’s party has a seat in Sri Lanka’s 225-member legislature, although he was not an MP himself. He was gunned down in the southern town of Beliatta, nearly 200km south of the capital, Colombo. Police said his vehicle had stopped at a roadside restaurant when gunmen in a pickup truck opened fire and then sped off. | AFP…

SUCH have been Cameroon’s successes at the Africa Cup of Nations that the idea of them exiting the tournament in the first round would be preposterous to many. As the second most successful country – behind Egypt – at the biennial continental showpiece with five titles, the Indomitable Lions almost always go into the finals as one of the favourites. After all, their squad is always teeming with superstars plying their trade in the top leagues in Europe. And it is the same for the current tournament taking place in Ivory Coast. But, as they approach their final Group C match against Gambia tonight, the central African nation do so having to win at all costs, if they are not to head home before the knockout stage. It is a…