Table of contents for 2024-04-09 in Cape Times

T​HE AGRICULTURAL sector has expressed a number of concerns ahead of the Department of Water Affairs shutting down the Katse and Mohale dams supplying the Vaal River for a six-month rehabilitation to fix corrosion in the tunnel. The sector’s concerns range from the timing in relation to seasonal activities, adequacy of contingency plans, reserve water quality, biosecurity threats and lack of consultation. Deputy director-general for infrastructure management at the Department of Water Affairs Livhuwani Mabuda yesterday announced that contingency measures were in place from a cluster of 14 dams to compensate for the reductions as the tunnel will be closed from October to March next year, but stressed that farmers would be affected, especially those drawing water directly from the Vaal River. The tunnel is part of the first phase…

SIRIUS Real Estate, owner and operator of branded business and industrial parks in Germany and the UK, has completed more than €100 million (R2.2 billion) in acquisitions in the UK and Germany, and further deals are in the pipeline. The company said yesterday that it had completed four notarised acquisitions in Germany and the UK: Vantage Point Business Village in Gloucestershire, UK, acquired for €56.4m; a business park in Köln, acquired for €20m; a multi-tenanted business park in Göppingen acquired for €19.8m; and an industrial park and land parcel in Klipphausen, near Dresden, acquired for €13.75m. Sirius’s share price closed 0.09% lower at R22.71 on the JSE yesterday, but its price has risen 25.3% over 12 months. “We are continuing to make good progress on our acquisition pipeline,…

from page 1 of strong winds in areas including the City Bowl and southern suburbs, as well as the Helderberg Basin, including Firgrove, Strand, Somerset West and Gordon’s Bay. Following a briefing at the City’s Disaster Risk Management co-ordination centre in Goodwood, mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis also joined teams surveying structural damages in Nomzamo informal settlement, Morkel’s Cottage, and elsewhere in the Strand area. More than 300 schools in the Cape Winelands and Overberg education districts would also remain closed today. “We have already received reports of damage at 132 schools, ranging from minor to serious. The total is likely to rise when staff return to school properties in the coming days,” Education MEC David Maynier said. Eskom also confirmed extreme weather conditions had led to multiple faults across the province…

Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell says he is assessing a complaint relating to alleged corruption, fraud and nepotism against senior DA councillors in the Matzikama Municipality. The complaint by ANC Matzikama caucus chief whip Johan Muller followed allegations from a whistle-blower. In the whistle-blower’s complaint, seen by the Cape Times, it is alleged that current appointments were being controlled by a councillor and senior municipal official. “Currently appointments are controlled by two board members. No appointment including EPWP (Expanded Public Works Programme) workers in Vanrhynsdorp may take place without the consent of (the) councillor. He also decides himself about the amounts that the persons must earn and when contracts must be terminated. Several investigations were launched and there was even a recommendation from the MEC…

The owners of the Enyobeni Tavern were absent from court when the inquest hearing into the deaths of 21 children at the tavern resumed yesterday. It is reported that the pair, Siyakhangela Ndevu and his wife Vuyokazi, were not informed that they were needed for the inquest. The inquest was postponed to May 11. The couple are key witnesses in the inquest scheduled to take place in the Mdantsane Magistrate’s Court in the Eastern Cape. Twenty-one young people aged between 14 and 20 died at a “pens down” party in June 2022 at the tavern. In February, the East London Regional Court found the pair guilty of allowing minors in the tavern and selling alcohol to them, and they were fined R5 000 each or 100 days’ imprisonment. They were…

In the battle against crime, the recent actions of the police in KwaZulu-Natal, particularly in the Mariannhill incident near Pinetown, where nine suspects were shot and killed, raise complex and contentious issues. It’s undeniable that the police play a vital role in rooting out violent criminals who pose a threat to communities, and commendations are due for their efforts in tackling such crimes. The gang of suspects, predominantly young individuals, had instilled fear and chaos in the community for months, prompting some residents to flee their homes. In such dire circumstances, it’s understandable that the police responded with force to neutralise the threat. In a province as volatile as KwaZulu-Natal, where crime rates are alarmingly high, the ability of law enforcement to employ lethal force when necessary is crucial in…

Eclipse mania swept across North America as a breathtaking celestial event promised a rare blend of commerce, science and celebration. The Moon’s shadow was to land on Mexico’s Pacific coast at 2.07pm ET (18.07 GMT), then speed northeast across a 15-state swathe of the US and on to Canada, exiting the continent over Newfoundland just under an hour and a half later. Festivals, viewing parties, and even a mass wedding were planned along the eclipse “path of totality,” where the Moon will completely obscure the Sun’s light for up to a few minutes. “Eclipses have a special power,” Nasa administrator Bill Nelson said. “They move people to feel a kind of reverence for the beauty of our universe.” This year’s path of totality was 185km wide and home to nearly…

Washington: Abortion rights should be left up to US states to decide, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said yesterday, effectively rejecting a national abortion ban after months of mixed signals on one of the November election’s most contentious issues. His statement came after questions had swirled for weeks over what his stance would be on the issue, fuelled by a New York Times article in February that said he had told advisers he liked the idea of a 16-week national abortion ban. Some states have enacted near-total bans while others passed laws to enshrine abortion rights. Democrats say that polls show most Americans oppose a federal ban. | AFP…

Paris: A French water charity sounded the alarm yesterday about pollution in the River Seine, set to be used for swimming during the Olympic Games. Surfrider Foundation said it had analysed six months of tests by a laboratory and the river water remained polluted and potentially dangerous. Paris authorities are in a race against time to clean up the Seine before the start of the Olympics on July 26, with the famed waterway set to play a starring role during the Games. About €1.4 billion (R28.3bn) has been spent upgrading sewage and storm water treatment plants in the Paris region over the last decade to improve the Seine’s quality. | AFP…

THE Proteas Women are bracing for the start of the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka today at the Buffalo Park Stadium in East London. The most important question leading into the series is whether they will be able to pick themselves up from the 2-1 T20 series loss to Sri Lanka at the same ground last week. Captain Laura Wolvaardt reckons they will be able to complete a successful turnaround despite becoming the first Proteas Women’s team to lose a series against Sri Lanka in South Africa. “I think we can pick ourselves up because we know where we went wrong and we know what we can improve on,” Wolvaardt said yesterday. “(It’s) not the way we wanted to end the (T20) series but we’ve had a good couple…

I AM DELIGHTED to announce that Siphelele Dludla is to head the news desk of Business Report (BR) as news editor. Dludla, who has been part of the BR team for many years, has demonstrated a strong nose for news coverage and excellence in reporting. His reporting often graces the front page as the lead story with his content often being shared with Independent Media carrier titles, The Star, The Mercury and Cape Times. Dludla, like fine wine, just gets better over time. As Dludla takes on this new chapter in his journalistic career, I wish him all the best. Readers can be assured of a top quality read every day with Dludla taking on a key leadership role at Business Report, which has an established national footprint and online…

Scores of people from across the globe are on a quest to lose weight, improve their health and better their lifestyles. With this in mind, fitness experts at PTPioneer.com have compiled a study to pinpoint the most sought- after weight loss questions in America. The platform, which helps aspiring personal trainers find employment in the fitness industry, analysed search volumes for various weight loss-related terms and inquiries. Its research also examined the average monthly search numbers for weight loss-related queries over the past year. 1. What is the ice hack for weight loss? – 19K This was the most googled question related to weight loss. The fitness experts say that exposing your body to cold temperatures, such as ice baths or cold showers, is a popular weight loss technique. “This…

Master’s Offices were saddled with a backlog of more than 13 000 matters as at December 2023 and only 6.75% of the backlog has been cleared. This was revealed by Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola when he responded to DA MP Werner Horn, who asked about the backlog faced by the Master’s Offices. Lamola said the backlog in the Master’s Office consisted of backlogs in Guardian’s Fund applications, Trust matters and the issuing of appointments in deceased estate matters. “As at 31 December 2023, the backlog was 13 851 matters; 935 (6.75%) of backlog matters have been cleared and offices are working on clearing the rest of the backlog,” he said. “The Masters are still plagued by several challenges including, but not limited to, systems downtime, load shedding…

Most damage would be of high value, including historic buildings like those at Blaauwklippen Agricultural Estate Insurers are bracing for losses in the region of millions of rand from the damage caused by the current inclement weather in parts of the Western Cape. While it was too early to determine the full extent of the damage, Santam, one of South Africa’s largest short-term insurers, yesterday confirmed receiving 160 claims over the past 48 hours alone. Santam said its assessors on the ground confirmed that most damage would be of high value due to the gale-force winds. The number of claims is expected to increase significantly as areas were still experiencing strong winds. From the claims filed by yesterday morning, damage included roofs blown off and trees falling on properties.…

PUBLIC Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala has revealed that about R13.8 million may have been lost to corruption across the expanded public works programmes (EPWP). Zikalala said verifications done with the Department of Public Service and Administration Personnel and Salaries (Persal) management system have identified suspicious transactions on the EPWP-allocated budgets that may have been lost to corruption, undeserving beneficiaries and theft. “An estimated R13.8 million may have been lost to corruption across the EPWP sectors and public bodies. “The R13.8m was lost through payments done to undeserving beneficiaries or participants benefit- ing from budgets allocated to the EPWP. “These participants are assumed to be undeserving participants as they appear as permanent government officials on the Persal system. Therefore the amount referenced… can be regarded as money lost through…

A Hamas official said yesterday that no progress was made at a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo attended by Israel, Qatar and US representatives after the Egyptian hosts said headway had been achieved on the agenda. Western powers have voiced outrage over what they see as an unacceptably high Palestinian civilian death toll and humanitarian crisis arising from Israel’s military onslaught to destroy Hamas in densely populated Gaza. Israel and Hamas sent teams to Egypt on Sunday after the arrival on Saturday of CIA director William Burns, whose presence underlined rising US pressure for a deal that would free hostages held in Gaza and get aid to isolated civilians. “There is no change in the position of the occupation and therefore, there is nothing new in the…

At least 100 Russians asked for help from President Vladimir Putin yesterday in a city struck by the worst flooding ever recorded, chanting “shame on you” at local officials who they said had done too little to help their plight. Russia declared an emergency in the Orenburg region near Kazakhstan after the Ural River, Europe’s third longest river, swelled several metres in hours on Friday, and burst through a dam embankment in the city of Orsk. Swathes of Orsk, a city of 230 000 about 1 800km east of Moscow, have been left submerged. People came out in front of the local administration in Orsk, some chanting “shame on you, shame on you” and “Putin help”. With their properties either destroyed or severely damaged, some are unhappy with the compensation…

Vatican City: The Vatican published a new document yesterday setting out “grave violations of human dignity”, listing abortion, surrogacy and gender theory alongside discrimination against migrants and LGBTQ people. The 20-page document, endorsed by Pope Francis, is the culmination of five years of work but comes amid splits in the Roman Catholic Church over a range of social issues, most recently the blessing of gay couples. Titled Dignitas infinita, the document covers the key themes of the Argentinian’s 11-year papacy. For the first time, the Vatican forcefully denounces gender theory, which espouses not having to adhere to the gender you were born with. | AFP…

Bangkok: The Myanmar junta requested permission for “special” flights to land in Thailand and repatriate Myanmar nationals, the Thai foreign ministry said yesterday, following clashes in a nearby vital border hub. Myanmar’s civil conflict has stepped up in recent months with forces opposed to the military – which seized power from a democratically elected government in a 2021 coup – making gains across the country. Over the weekend there were reports of intense fighting by anti-junta groups near Myawaddy town, across the border from the Thai town of Mae Sot. Thailand was “closely monitoring the situation on the Thai-Myanmar border”, the ministry said. | AFP…

Banayana Banyana goalkeeper and her Nigerian rival Chiamaka Nnadozie are shaping up as the key figures in today’s epic African women’s football showdown in the quest to secure a ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics. South Africa, the reigning Wafcon champions, will face off against Nigeria, Africa’s top-ranked team in the world, in the second leg of the final round of Olympic qualifying at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria (kick-off 7.30pm). Nigeria won Friday’s first-leg encounter at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja 1-0, with Atletico Madrid forward Rasheedat Ajibade scoring a penalty just before half-time. This proved to be the difference between the two sides. Nnadozie told the Nigerian media that the Super Falcons won’t be intimidated by South African fans, even if they packed the 51 000-seater stadium. She…

THE fan base in the IPL is widely known for often being unreasonably critical. Most times, the standards that are expected of players are almost unrealistic. Almost every IPL player has been on the receiving end of the critics and Tristan Stubbs is no different. After two seasons with the Mumbai Indians, a period when Stubbs had very little success, there were suggestions that perhaps the 23-year-old is not cut out for the league. It reached a point were parallels were drawn between Stubbs and the many overseas players before him who simply crumbled under the pressure of the packed stadiums in India. However, Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting believed that there was more to Stubbs than his past returns suggested and that he was worth investing in. Ponting and…

OIL PRICES have surged in recent days, threatening to push Brent Crude, the global oil benchmark, to $100 (R1 875) a barrel for the first time in almost two years. Traders have been taken by surprise by a surge in oil prices. Mere days ago, oil jumped above $90 a barrel, triggered by military tensions between Israel and Iran. Reuters reported that global oil benchmark Brent steadied above $91 a barrel yesterday, reducing early losses. This was prompted by Israel withdrawing more soldiers from Gaza and committing to fresh talks on a potential ceasefire in the Middle East conflict. Brent crude futures were down 16 cents, or 0.2%, at $91.01 a barrel by 3.35pm. US West Texas Intermediate crude was down 9c, or about 0.1%, at $86.82. Both…

SOUTH Africa’s beef exports experienced a slight recovery last year, increasing by 3% year-on-year (y/y) to 27 675 tons, after falling below the five-year average a year before due to the outbreak of the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). According to recent data from Trade Map, beef exports fell below the prior five-year average in 2022, down by 16% y/y and totalling 26 881 tons. Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) chief economist Wandile Sihlobo said yesterday that the previous two years had presented major challenges for the South African livestock industry. “The spread of the FMD and higher feed costs were the two major factors that weighed on their business,” Sihlobo said. “The government worked to control the spread of FMD, the impact was deepening on the revenues of farming businesses…

The DA in KwaZulu-Natal yesterday hosted its “Ready to Govern Summit” ahead of next month’s national general elections, saying it was an opportunity to learn from the Western Cape government and to fix the challenges in the province. The speakers included uMngeni Municipality mayor Chris Pappas, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, Western Cape Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo and Cape Town mayoral committee members Zahid Badroodien (water and sanitation) and Carl Pophaim (human settlements). The DA in KZN said it is aiming to be part of the government after the elections and yesterday’s summit was in preparation to deal with the province’s challenges after the May 29 ballot. Pappas said the summit brought together expertise as well as learned experiences from across the country to prepare the DA to take over…

THE National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has remained mum over delays in student allowances at some institutions after the direct payment mandate has returned to the four controversial fin-tech service providers. Universities had temporarily taken over the responsibility of facilitating the payment of allowances for February and March. According to the entity, this was due to challenges experienced at the beginning of the academic year which led to delays in receiving registration data from the institutions. As of April 1, fin-tech companies eZaga Holdings, Tenet Technology, Noracco Corporation and Coinvest Africa resumed administration services as they are still contracted with NSFAS. Last month, the entity had explained that there was a legal process of terminating the contracts and it was also still looking for a long-term solution of how…

As the South African general election date (May 29) draws nearer, and so too the official celebration of 30 years of our hard-won democracy, pre-election polls have been frequenting our headlines. And while the utility of such polls, for gauging public sentiment, is not entirely lost on me, the predictions of these polls are seemingly becoming ever more outlandish, leading me to question the place for such pre-election polls in our democratic process. Take, for instance, a recent poll that made its rounds, suggesting that South Africa’s incumbent ruling party, the ANC, would receive a mere 39% of the vote. This would entail a 20% fall from the 57% of the vote it secured during the 2019 elections. While frustration with our government is palpable, could such sentiment alone precipitate…

Rescuers carried out search operations off the northern coast of Mozambique yesterday after a makeshift ferry boat carrying people fleeing a cholera outbreak capsized, killing at least 97. The converted fishing boat, with about 130 people on board, ran into trouble late on Sunday as it was headed for an island off Nampula province, officials said. Most of those on board were trying to escape the mainland after disinformation about cholera caused a panic, according to Nampula’s secretary of state Jaime Neto. Many children were among the victims, he added. On Sunday, authorities said the boat was believed to have sunk as it was overcrowded and unsuited to carrying passengers. It was later clarified that the vessel capsized after taking on water. “Water filled the boat... and the tragedy happened,”…

The US “will not accept” a situation where underpriced Chinese goods flood the global market, battering industries elsewhere, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said yesterday as she wrapped up high-level talks in China. Yellen has warned about the risks of China’s excess industrial capacity during four days of meetings with officials and business leaders in the southern city of Guangzhou and capital Beijing. Washington is concerned that Chinese government support is leading to more production capacity than global markets can absorb, resulting in a surge of cheap exports in sectors such as solar and electric vehicles and stifling, growth elsewhere. The two countries have also agreed to open channels for further talks on excess capacity. But Chinese Premier Li Qiang earlier told Yellen that Washington should view the matter of…

BUENOS AIRES: Mosquitoes are hatching earlier in Argentina and reaching cooler regions than before, as rising temperatures drive the country’s worst outbreak of dengue fever and raise the risk of more regular epidemics of the insect-borne virus, scientists said. So far in the 2023/24 season, Argentina has recorded 232 996 cases of the disease sometimes known as “break-bone fever” for the severe muscle and joint pain it can cause, along with high fever, headache, vomiting and skin rash. That’s above the previous all-time high of 130 000, recorded last season, and five times the figure of a year ago, the latest official data showed. | Reuters…

SAN FRANCISCO: Elon Musk said yesterday that X would defy an order by Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes to block some accounts amid a growing confrontation between the social media company and the country’s judiciary over free speech and misinformation. Moraes, who also heads Brazil’s top election court, has spearheaded a crackdown on fake news, hate speech and incitement in Latin America’s largest nation, citing disinformation as a singular threat to its democracy. X’s global government affairs team said the company had been forced by the court to block some accounts in Brazil. Musk said that the company would reinstate the affected accounts even at the risk of losing business. | The Washington Post…

Everton have been given an additional two-point deduction for a breach of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSRs) for the 2022/23 season, it was announced yesterday. The decision followed a previous six-point PSR penalty imposed on Everton that left the club just two points above the relegation zone with seven games left to play this season. “Over a three-day hearing last month, an independent commission heard evidence and arguments from the club in respect of a range of potential mitigating factors for its admitted breach of £16.6 million (about R391m), including the impact of its two successive PSR charges,” the Premier League said. Everton revealed an £89.1m loss for the 2022/23 season in their financial accounts published last month. The Toffees’ losses were a significant increase from the…

The Western Province Women’s team engraved their status as the premier T20 team in the country with their fourth consecutive CSA T20 Challenge trophy at Newlands. Claire Terblanche’s side have been the dominant force in the shortest format for a long time. Having already secured an insurmountable lead in the standings, Province rubber-stamped their authority with an eight-wicket victory over the Titans in their final league match of the season. The win highlighted Province’s immense depth as it was achieved without their Proteas stars Nadine de Klerk and Delmi Tucker, as well as SA Emerging players Lara Goodall, Faye Tunnicliffe and Kayla Reyneke, while captain Leah Jones was also ruled out through injury. Instead, it was youngster Jemma Botha who took centre stage. The 16-year-old Grade 11 pupil at Wynberg…