Table of contents for 2024-06-25 in Cape Times

from page 1 Solly Malatsi would only say his party remained committed to the statement of intent to set up a GNU. “The purpose of our negotiations now is to give expression to that statement so that we are able to make a positive impact on the lives of South Africans. “We obviously cannot enter a government if we do not have the means to effect positive change. “We are hopeful that we can reach a satisfactory agreement with the ANC,” he said. Malatsi, who steered clear of the document purported to be from Zille, said they were obliged to respect the mandate from the voters and put the people of South Africa first. In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa said that every effort must be made to ensure that the…

THE City of Tshwane is beset with problems of ageing infrastructure and acts of sabotage that have been blamed for prolonged water outages in Bronkhorstspruit and surrounding areas in Region 7. MMC for utility services Themba Fosi said he observed first-hand the challenges stemming from the ageing infrastructure in Region 7 during his oversight visit with Mayor Cilliers Brink. This came after Independen Media last week reported that residents went for days without water after the couplings used for joining pipes to Zithobeni reservoir were stretched and blasted shortly after the repairs were done. The City has since said the repairs were successfully completed, but pointed out that its infrastructure is old and vulnerable to acts of sabotage. During the visit to Bronkhorstspruit water purification and treatment plants, Fosi acknowledged…

A George farmer is set to be compensated for his loss – initially calculated at an estimated R31 million – after he was ordered to destroy livestock on two of his chicken farms due to avian flu. The farmer had to destroy more than 380 000 chickens and 5.3 million eggs. George Moerasrivier Boerdery was successful in litigation against the Director of Animal Health at the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) after judgment was handed down in the Thembalethu Circuit High Court. According to the judgment handed down by Judge Judith Cloete, the applicant had a flourishing poultry business in the George area until an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, avian influenza or “flu”, on two of its farms. The first, on the farm Onderplaas,…

FROM trade union supremo to business guru to president of the republic, the newly sworn-in President Cyril Ramaphosa, for his second administration, cut a dapper if also a politically compromised figure. The sheer relief on his beaming face when Chief Justice Raymond Zondo swore him in perhaps betrayed a nervousness of what lies ahead. With the election done and dusted, the logical metamorphosis for Ramaphosa has been into a bespoke metaphorical cabinetmaker – kitchen or otherwise – with the unenviable playbook of allocating ministerial Cabinet posts and largesse and placating the seven-strong cohort of parties (at the latest count) that forms the Government of National Unity (GNU). The optics of President Ramaphosa posing with John Steenhuisen, Velenkosini Hlabisa, Gayton McKenzie, and Patricia de Lille only a few weeks ago would…

Russian lawmakers yesterday blamed external forces, including Ukraine and NATO, for terrorist attacks yesterday that killed at least 19 people in Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim region of Russia in the North Caucasus that has long been a hotbed of violence by Islamist militants. The gunfire attacks on Sunday – at a police post, a synagogue and Orthodox churches in the regional capital of Makhachkala and a second city, Derbent – killed at least 17 police officers and an Orthodox priest, authorities said. Pro-Kremlin media appeared to play down a claim from Al Azaim Media, a Russian-language channel associated with the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, which posted a statement late Sunday that the attack was carried out in response to calls for attacks on behalf of the Islamic State organization,…

Former nurse Lucy Letby, convicted last year of murdering seven babies and trying to kill six others, has told an English court she had never harmed nor intended to harm a child in her care. Letby, 34, was found guilty last August of the multiple murders while she was working as a nurse in the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital in Chester, northern England, between June 2015 and June 2016. The former nurse is on trial at Manchester Crown Court charged with one count of attempted murder of another baby girl, known as Child K, in February 2016. Letby was asked by her defence lawyer Ben Myers yestrday if she had attempted to kill Child K. “No,” she replied, denying she had intended to do the baby…

Sofia: Fugitive Bulgarian druglord Evelin Banev, wanted in several European countries, surrendered to the authorities yesterday. The former wrestler had been sought since 2018. Ukrainian authorities caught him in Kyiv in 2021 but refused to extradite him because he had acquired Ukrainian nationality. Banev, 59, fled after being sentenced in 2013 in Bulgaria to jail for money laundering. He has been the subject of an Interpol red notice since then. Banev was also wanted by Romania where he was sentenced to jail for drug trafficking; and Italy for smuggling in up to 40 tons of cocaine and supplying the ‘Ndrangheta mafia. | AFP…

LONDON: Princess Anne, King Charles’ younger sister, was in hospital after suffering a head injury on Sunday, Buckingham Palace said, adding that she was expected to make a full recovery from the incident which was believed to have involved a horse. The palace said yesterday that the 73-year-old had suffered minor injuries and concussion following the incident and she was now recovering at Southmead Hospital in Bristol, west England. The princess had been walking in the grounds of Gatcombe Park estate where her home is located when she suffered minor injuries to her head, a royal source said. There were horses in the vicinity and her medical team said the head injuries were consistent with impact from a horse’s head or legs. | Reuters…

While England already have one foot in the knockout round of Euro 2024 and can finish no lower than third in their group, they need to make their presence felt at a tournament that has seen optimism around them wither after two lacklustre games. England need to avoid defeat in Cologne tonight to guarantee progress and will definitely top the group with a win. If Denmark fail to beat Serbia in the other Group C match, England will qualify regardless of their result against Slovenia. Slovenia will go through to the last 16 if they win. Supporters and pundits have levelled scathing criticism at Gareth Southgate’s England side after their 1-0 win over Serbia and anxious 1-1 draw with Denmark that saw fans boo them off the pitch before the…

Breaststroke specialist Kaylene Corbett has competed at the Olympics before but will treat her 2024 Paris campaign as a novel experience. Corbett was named in the initial list of 39 athletes for the Olympic Games in Paris and is one of 15 athletes who previously competed at the world’s premier quadrennial international multi-sport event. At the Tokyo Olympics, Corbett reached the final of the 200m breaststroke and finished fifth behind fellow South African Tatjana Smith (nee Schoenmaker), the eventual winner in record-breaking time. It was the first time since Sydney 2000 that two South African women reached the finals of the same event. In April this year, Corbett secured her Olympics ticket with a qualifying time at the South African Swimming Championships at Newton Park swimming pool in Port Elizabeth.…

from page 1 on whether he was guilty or innocent. “If the court rules in his favour, he will be eligible to take the ministerial positions again but if the court rules otherwise, then he will have to step aside completely,” she said. Kodwa, who is number 25 on the ANC’s national list to Parliament, was not among the newly-elected public representatives that took oath of office in the first sitting of the National Assembly about 10 days ago. He stepped down as the minister when he appeared in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court alongside his co-accused, former EOH boss Jehan Mackay. At the time, Bhengu-Motsiri said the step-aside policy would kick in after he wrote to secretary-general Fikile Mbalula notifying him of his resignation and abiding by the step-aside…

Anticipating the parole release of child murderer and former top cop, Marius van der Westhuizen, his ex-wife’s legal team has lodged a complaint with the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS). Charlotte van der Westhuizen’s legal team lodged the complaint with JICS to bring under the spotlight “defects in the parole process” and to fight her ex-husband’s release on parole. Van der Westhuizen served 13 of his 24-year imprisonment sentence for the murder of his and Charlotte’s three children. Charlotte said it was a travesty of justice that her ex-husband had effectively served only four years for each of their children’s murders and said it was “shockingly inappropriate”. Van der Westhuizen, 61, is expected to be released on parole at the end of July until September 2034, after he appeared…

In a case which concerns the global phenomenon of child abduction and involves an application premised on the provisions of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that a boy, now 3, had to be returned to Canada where his father lived. The father turned to the SCA as he appealed an earlier order by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, which ordered that the boy can remain with his mother in Pretoria. In ruling in favour of the father, the SCA commented that this matter brought to the fore the difficult task faced by courts whenever they were called upon to decide whether to return an abducted or retained child to his or her home country as contemplated in the…

With power now within their grasp, the DA’s selectivity is galling THE abomination called the Government of National Unity (GNU) has not yet got off the ground and it has already done the nation a great service. It has caused real, and fierce public debate, and that is an infinitely good thing. It has helped to break down the walls of apathy behind which too many of us have been hiding for too long. It is, it seems, not a debate exclusively dominated by academics, the colonialist media, politicians, or the elite-accredited pundits and “thought leaders” from think tanks and Foundations with hidden, pro-apartheid agendas. The people are talking. Since 1994, it seems we have been waking up in one foggy morning after the other: first the euphoria of…

A lithium battery factory in South Korea was set on fire after multiple batteries exploded yesterday, killing 22 workers, most of them Chinese nationals, fire officials said. The fire and a series of explosions ripped through the factory run by primary battery manufacturer Aricell in Hwaseong, an industrial cluster southwest of the capital Seoul. The victims likely succumbed to extremely toxic gas within seconds of the blaze getting out of control, the officials said. It was unclear what caused the explosions and the fire was largely extinguished in about six hours. Eighteen Chinese workers, two South Koreans and one Laotian were among the dead. The nationality of the other dead worker was yet to be confirmed, Kim Jin-young, an official at the Hwaseong fire service, told reporters, citing company officials.…

A Delhi city minister has started an indefinite hunger strike to demand more drinking water for India’s capital, where taps in some of its poorest areas are running nearly dry amid searing heat. “There are 2.8 million people in the city aching for just a drop of water,” Delhi Water Minister Atishi said yesterday, the fourth day of her fast. Delhi relies on the Yamuna River that runs through the capital for most of its water needs but the river slows down during dry summer months, causing shortages that lead to protests and calls for better water conservation. Atishi blamed the neighbouring farming state of Haryana for guzzling up the water. Haryana’s government hit back, saying Delhi’s mismanagement was causing water shortages. Experts said a review of water sharing pacts…

Jakarta: A cyberattack on Indonesia’s national data centre compromised 210 government offices and caused long delays at the capital’s main airport, with the hacker demanding $8 million (R145m) in ransom, officials said. Long queues formed at immigration gates at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport last week after systems went down in the attack, carried out using software developed by Russian ransomware outfit LockBit. The ransomware, known as Brain Cipher, made encrypted government data. LockBit has targeted governments, major companies, schools and hospitals, causing billions in damage and extracting millions in ransom. | AFP…

Yangon: A first batch of 5 000 conscripts called up by Myanmar’s junta will begin duty at the end of this month, military sources said yesterday, as the generals struggle to crush opposition to their coup. The junta enforced a conscription law in February, three years after it seized power and sparked a widespread armed uprising that has spread across swathes of the country. The law allows the military to summon all men aged 18-35 and women aged 18-27 to serve in the armed forces for at least two years. Myanmar has 14 regional military commands. At least 10 of them are engaged in fighting established ethnic minority armed groups. | AFP…

France will try to get the goals flowing against already-eliminated Poland as they seek to finish top of their Euro 2024 group today, but questions remain about the availability of key forward Kylian Mbappe. The striker – who broke his nose in France’s opener against Austria – donned a mask to take part in a practise match on Saturday against the under-21 side of German club Paderborn in which he scored twice and set up two other goals. France have so far failed to score in Germany – they beat Austria in their opener courtesy of an own goal and drew 0-0 with the Netherlands – so coach Didier Deschamps will be tempted to bring Mbappe back against Poland. Netherlands lead Group D, having scored more goals than the French.…

While not on the City’s 72 hour-water outage list, residents in Schaapkraal and Strandfontein also reported low pressure yesterday morning, the City said. Mayco member for water and sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, said City teams had rerouted water to these communities. The City announced a 72-hour operation to do essential maintenance to its water supply network on the Cape Flats, which started yesterday, and is expected to last until tomorrow (Wednesday), resulting in several areas having no water. Residents in the following areas are affected: Wynberg, Wetton, Ottery, Plumstead, Diep River, Southfield, Elfindale, Heathfield, Retreat, Steenberg, Lavender Hill, Seawinds, Vrygrond, Muizenberg, Parkwood, Lotus River, Grassy Park, Zeekoevlei, Pelican Park, Pelican Heights, Peacock Close, and Eagle Park. Yesterday afternoon Badroodien confirmed that all valves leading to the areas where valve replacements were…

DA reportedly wants 11 ministerial posts including deputy president and DGs The ANC has drawn a line in the sand, saying no single party will hold to ransom the negotiations over the allocation of Cabinet positions in the Government of National Unity (GNU). This comes as parties in the ANC-led coalition have yet to reach consensus on ministerial positions. The DA wants 11 ministerial portfolios and deputy ministers in the same ministries. The impasse is such that Parliament cannot establish portfolio committees until the ministerial portfolios have been designated. In a statement, ANC national spokesperson Mhlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said they noted with concern that some parties were making “outlandish and outrageous” demands for specific Cabinet positions in the media. Bhengu-Motsiri said negotiating through leaking demands was an act of bad faith…

THE body of a man found in Philippi East with a gunshot wound was identified at the weekend to be that of an off-duty police officer reported missing. Residents discovered the body of 29-year-old Constable Bonginkosi Zuko Bhobho on Thursday on the corner of Sheffield and Govan Mbeki roads in Luzuko. Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said police were investigating the incident. “SAPS members were driving on patrol when they were stopped by community members. They pointed out a body of an unknown male that was lying in the field with a gunshot wound to his head. “The deceased did not have any valuables or identification in his possession. It was unknown what transpired and robbery is suspected. Enquiries on the scene were made, but with no positive information. “On…

In a society where consumer safety and well-being should be paramount, it is alarming to witness the prevalence of outlets around the country selling goods that have passed their sell-by, use-by, or best before dates. The recent findings from the National Consumer Commission (NCC) regarding non-compliance and the sale of expired goods should serve as a wake-up call to municipal authorities to take decisive action. It is imperative that local authorities step up their efforts in conducting regular inspections of these outlets to ensure the health and safety of consumers. For instance, eThekwini Municipality’s Health Unit, which already has inspectors monitoring the quality of goods sold in outlets across the city, should intensify their efforts in eradicating the selling of substandard and expired goods. The recent countrywide compliance inspections initiated…

Two Israeli air strikes targeting aid supplies killed at least 11 Palestinians in Gaza yesterday, medics said, as Israeli tanks pushed deeper into Rafah in the south and fought their way back into areas in the north they had already subdued months ago. One strike at a food distribution centre in Gaza City, near the Shati historic refugee camp, killed three people. Another, near Bani Suhaila town in the southern Gaza Strip, killed at least eight, including guards who accompany aid trucks, the medics said. Israel denies attacking aid efforts and accuses militants of causing harm to civilians by operating among them. Overnight, an Israeli air strike at a medical clinic in Gaza City killed the director of Gaza’s Ambulance and Emergency Department, the enclave’s health ministry said. Israel’s military…

ABIDJAN: Floods and landslides killed at least 24 people in 10 days in Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s largest city, authorities said yesterday after an unusually intense start to the rainy season. Rain around four times heavier than normal fell on the economic capital over several days in that period, causing spectacular rises in water levels and landslides. The National Office for Civil Protection reported 24 deaths after “torrential rains from June 13 to June 22”, warning of the risk of collapsed buildings. Two more people were missing after being “swept away by the waters”, it said. About a quarter of the rain expected over the entire three-month rainy season from May to July fell in 24 hours. | AFP…

Nairobi: Kenya’s President William Ruto bid a ceremonial goodbye yesterday to 400 police officers set to lead a UN-backed mission to tackle gang violence in Haiti, it was reported. The East African nation offered to send 1 000 police to stabilise Haiti, alongside forces from several other countries, but the deployment has run into persistent legal troubles. The deployment was approved by a UN Security Council resolution. Human Rights Watch has raised concerns about the Haiti mission and doubts over its funding, while watchdogs have accused Kenyan police of using excessive force and carrying out unlawful killings. Reuters…