Table of contents for 2025-09-29 in Cape Times

South Africa’s municipalities continue to grapple with mounting debt and underperformance in revenue collection, according to the latest National Treasury fourth-quarter Local Government Section 71 report for the 2024/25 financial year. The report, released on Friday and covering the period ending 30 June 2025, shows that while municipalities collectively spent R597.2 billion, or 89.8% of their adjusted expenditure budgets, revenue collection fell short. Municipalities billed and generated R617.3bn, equivalent to 93% of their adjusted revenue targets. A major concern flagged by Treasury is the ballooning municipal consumer debt, which climbed to R427.7bn, up from R339.9bn in the same period last year. Households account for 71.9% (R307.5bn) of this debt, while government entities owe R24.7bn, a sharp increase from R18.6bn in 2023/24. “The growing debt burden highlights the liquidity and cash…

Starbucks plans to close stores and eliminate 900 jobs in a $1 billion (about R17.3bn) restructuring effort as the company amps up a turnaround plan under chief executive Brian Niccol. The coffee chain, which had 360 000 global employees last year, said its overall store count in the US and Canada will drop by 1% to 18 300. After that, it plans to grow the number of stores it operates and refurbish another 1 000 restaurants. Following a review of its coffeehouses, the company identified a number of stores where it couldn’t see a path toward profitability and decided to close them. It plans to focus on stores that align with Niccol’s plan to make its restaurants a more inviting place to visit. “Early results from coffeehouse uplifts show customers…

Dr Anne Letsebe is no more. She was laid to rest on Friday. South Africa has lost a seasoned civil servant – one chiselled in the Cabinet Secretariat of President Nelson Mandela and refined under the unified Cabinet Committee system led by Reverend Frank Chikane during President Mbeki’s administration. Dr Letsebe’s professional journey reflected a rare blend of intellect, integrity, and dedication to the public good. She took a deep interest in statistics, and when I became the Statistician-General of South Africa in 2000, I worked closely with her. Our relationship continued into retirement, bound by shared commitments to evidence, governance, and transformation. Now that she belongs to the Ages, she joins another departed colleague, Dr Lulama Makhubela, with whom I worked on the South Africa Women In Dialogue (SAWID)…

What if your body was trying to warn you about something serious, but the signs were so subtle you missed them? In South Africa, cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women aged 15 to 44, according to the National Cancer Registry. Often called the “silent killer”, it develops slowly and can go unnoticed for years. By the time symptoms appear, the disease may already have spread, making treatment more complex. Most cervical cancers are linked to persistent infection with high-risk types of the human papillomavirus (HPV), a very common virus transmitted mainly through sexual contact. While most HPV infections clear naturally, some persist and cause precancerous changes in cervical cells. Left unchecked, these changes can progress to cancer. Importantly, risk isn’t confined to sexually active women.…

THE project of renewal within the ANC is moving slowly, although non-genuine members are already weaning themselves off the party. That is the view shared by some ANC members in the Midlands, who have observed business people, who previously secured tenders through party connections, abandoning the ANC, along with former leaders joining opposition parties. They spoke after former President Thabo Mbeki made a call for the party to take the renewal programme seriously and remove those who seek to use the party for self-enrichment. Mbeki made these remarks while attending a political education school in Durban at the weekend. “Be honest about the state of the organisation. As a movement and an organisation, we recognise there is a crisis. You can't drop from where we were to this 17% and…

IT SADDENS me to read the editorial in Thursday’s Cape Times. There is definitely a bias against the DA, which is strange seeing as our President has given us kudos. For some reason the Cape Times has not printed any letters this week so I am going to repeat myself on a past letter I wrote. The editorial says the DA stands no chance of winning the City of Joburg in next year's elections. It says the DA has had enough time to prove its worth to residents. The problem is they haven't had enough time. Why does the Cape Times never give credit where credit is due? No political party is perfect but the DA is a darn sight more perfect than the ANC which…

Thousands marched through the Cape Town CBD on Saturday, calling for an end to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The crowd, which included both young children and older citizens, marched from Muir Street to Parliament, braving the scorching sun while chanting “Free Palestine” and “Palestine will be free”. Among the marchers was uMkhonto weSizwe Deputy President John Hlophe, who said: “The MK Party identifies with the goals of the Palestinian people. Their struggle cannot be separated from our struggle. It is a struggle for dignity. It is a struggle over the land of the Palestinian people. So we are here to support their cause.” Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Carl Niehaus added that his party stood fully with Palestinians and the people of Gaza. “We call for the immediate removal…

Moving beyond securitisation to holistic strategies BY THE end of 2024, the world had reached a sobering migration milestone. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, 43.7 million people were officially registered as refugees, while 123.2 million were forcibly displaced: equivalent to one in every 67 people on earth. International migration overall climbed to 304 million. Among them were Europeans, Africans, and indeed, many of us who move, live, and work across borders. Migration, after all, is not an anomaly but part of human nature. Yet, migration often turns tragic. On October 3, 2013, the world watched in horror as at least 365 migrants drowned off the coast of Lampedusa, Italy, after their overcrowded boat caught fire. The African Union (AU) declared November 3 a day of mourning, and former…

The drama at Kings Park was unrelenting as the Springboks fluctuated between the sublime and the ridiculous in thrashing Argentina 67-30. Here are five takeaways from a memorable Rugby Championship match. Sizzling Sacha A hat-trick of tries and 10 successful shots at goal saw the flyhalf amass a record-breaking 37 points. He beat 13 defenders while accumulating 134 metres from his 14 carries, fashioning three clean breaks in the process. That total of 13 defenders beaten is all the more impressive when you consider that the next best Springboks in this department — Jasper Wiese and Pieter-Steph du Toit — beat five defenders each. Boks score own goals During the week, attack coach Tony Brown spoke about the Boks’ inability to put together an 80-minute performance this season. Against the…

The latest World Economic Forum (WEF) chief economists’ outlook for September paints a stark picture of a global economy grappling with persistent disruptions and mounting uncertainty. This analysis, corroborated by South African economists, emerges from a comprehensive survey involving chief economists from various sectors, including Old Mutual Group’s chief economists, Johann Els. In a revealing appraisal, the report highlights a resilience amidst turbulence, yet underscores that growth prospects remain subdued, with significant risks skewed to the downside. Notably, 72% of chief economists surveyed anticipate a deterioration in global economic conditions over the next year – a sentiment echoed across numerous economies facing prolonged instability. The WEF report underscores the impact of recent tariffs imposed by the US on a multitude of countries, initiating a recalibration of global supply chains and…

South Africa’s Policy Uncertainty Index (PUI) surged to a record 81.0 points in the third quarter of 2025, up from 75.9 in the previous quarter, according to the North West University (NWU) Business School. The baseline of the index is 50, with higher levels reflecting greater policy uncertainty. NWU Business School economist Professor Raymond Parsons said the rise in uncertainty was driven by a mix of global and domestic headwinds. “A combination of negative global and internal factors outweighed the positive ones in the PUI over this period,” he said. Parsons added that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will soon update its overall economic forecasts for its annual meeting in October. On the global front, the IMF is set to update its economic outlook at its October annual meetings. Its…

The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) released its latest report on employers defaulting on pension fund contributions to their employees. It raises deeply alarming matters that cannot be left as yet another burden of life for workers to suffer through. Pension funds are workers’ hard earned deferred wages. When employers, public or private, claim to be making them fail to do so, that is fraud and must be treated as the criminal offence it is. Worse is when employers deduct the employees’ contribution and then pocket the money. It is extremely worrying that the number of delinquent employers has seemingly doubled from just under 8 000 in the last FSCA report to over 15 500 in its most recent. This may be due partly to improved reporting since the advent…

The Ad Hoc Committee probing allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, is embroiled in a contentious debate regarding the recusal of DA MP Dianne Kohler-Barnard. This discussion follows Mkhwanazi's public accusation at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that Kohler-Barnard disclosed classified crime intelligence information, a claim she has adamantly denied. The issue of Kohler-Barnard's membership on the committee has become a focal point of contention, and although the matter was discussed earlier this week, it was deferred for further discussion until Friday on how to take it forward. DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach stood firmly in support of Kohler-Barnard, asserting that there is currently no valid reason for her to step down. “She is very acutely aware of her responsibility regarding conflict of interest. If such a conflict…

THE Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has yet to provide clarity on reports that one of its evidence leaders Advocate Terry Motau has indicated his intention to resign. Motau, the chief evidence leader, reportedly told the City Press that he has made a request to leave the commission but refused to share reasons about his departure as nothing has been finalised yet. According to the report, Motau was requested to reconsider his decision and has undertaken to give feedback soon. Motau on Sunday did not respond to messages and calls. Madlanga Commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels was not available for comment as his phone was off. Political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu said although Motau's resignation from the commission will not derail its work, it may raise questions about its credibility. Ndlovu added…

MANENBERG, Hanover Park, Delft, Mitchells Plain, and Nyanga, to name a few, are areas that have become battlegrounds, and they are stained with the blood of our people. Since January of this year, over 2,000 people have been shot in the Western Cape. That is nearly 13 lives shattered every single day. Children cannot walk to school without fearing for their lives. Mothers, grandmothers, and ordinary citizens patrol the streets in reflective vests because they’ve long since given up on the idea that the National Government, with whom the policing mandate lies, will protect them. This is the result of a collapse of governance. We can no longer ignore the painful truth: SAPS is failing us. The South African Police Service is under-trained, under-resourced, and weighed down by political infighting.…

LAST year for Heritage Month, I wrote an opinion article titled “Your untold story can contribute to broadening our heritage narrative” in which I made an argument towards inclusivity, to flip the inherited heritage side of the coin that will have the courage to disrupt homogeneity and advance heterogeneity in pursuit of establishing the alternative memory where two sides of the heritage narrative coin intersect, influence each other, and hybridise, in pursuit of dialogic engagements and transformative output. Here follows some brief reflection on the article… Putting our conversation about the diverse facets of our heritage – both its uplifting moments and its painful truths – on hold for just one day a year will not address the deeper issues we face. In 2024, I invited everyone to join me…

Online marketplace OLX will enter the Western European auto market with the acquisition of leading French motors classified platform La Centrale for €1.1 billion (about R22.38 billion), its owner, the JSE and Amsterdam-listed Prosus said on Friday. Prosus, a subsidiary of Naspers, is focused on food and lifestyle e-commerce and in August reported a 54% jump in its e-commerce adjusted core earnings. On Friday it said that buying La Centrale would help it enter the European autos market and strengthen its e-commerce presence in the continent, complementing the recently announced planned acquisition by Prosus of meal delivery company Just Eat Takeaway. “I expect to invest more in AI technology in France,” Prosus CEO Fabricio Bloisi said in a statement. Prosus expects the deal to close by year-end. OLX CEO Christian…

The dichotomy between US unemployment and inflation, baptised as a process of stagflation, continues to shift investments to gold, platinum and other haven assets. Together with this sentiment of further rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve, the decision by the Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee not to lower the repo rate the previous week, pushed real rates between the US and South Africa to unique highs. This causes portfolio capital inflow and the rand/dollar exchange rate to trade at its strongest level since September 26, 2024. The currency last Tuesday in intra-day trade reached $17.22 against the dollar. Although the rand ended Friday sideways at R17.34/$, the same level as the previous week, it is still 150 cents stronger than at the beginning of the year (R18/84/$). Against the…

Heriot REIT, the AltX-listed diversified South African property company, saw a landmark year after it increased distributable earnings by 26.1%, its most ever, to R389.21 million for the year to June 30. The distribution per share (DPS) increased by 14.3% to 121.91 cents in the year to June 30. The growth in DPS was not directly aligned with distributable earnings, as the Thibault REIT acquisition initially led to an about 4% dilution in DPS, but delivered a 7% increase in net asset value per share. A final dividend of 65.07 cents a share, on a 100% payout ratio, was declared for the six months to June 30, a 14.5% increase compared to the final dividend for the same period in 2024. The company’s management said on Friday that the results…

In today's fast-paced world, where obligations and daily routines often take precedence, the importance of casual camaraderie among women is more evident than ever. A recent study commissioned by Bezel Wines and conducted by Talker Research highlights that not only do women crave these get-togethers, but they practically need them: on average, every 22 days. According to the survey of 2 000 women in the US, a striking 78% of respondents agree that girls' nights are crucial for feeling recharged. These evenings are not just a leisurely pastime; they're a necessary ritual for emotional balance. The study further revealed that the cornerstone of any successful girls' night is a convivial atmosphere, with wine reigning supreme as the beverage of choice. An overwhelming 88% of women indicated that wine is essential…

WHILE Sassa welcomed the North Gauteng High Court dismissal of Postbank’s urgent application to halt the termination of a crucial Master Services Agreement (MSA), Postbank has warned that the ruling could have serious implications for the livelihoods of millions relying on social grants. Judge Colleen Collis dismissed Postbank’s urgent application, citing a lack of urgency. The judge noted that Postbank had been aware of Sassa’s intent to terminate the MSA since March 2024. Sassa CEO Themba Matlou said the judgment confirmed Sassa’s long-held position that the termination of the MSA will not affect or interrupt social grant payments to beneficiaries who receive their grants via Postbank. “We are happy with the judgment, and we would like to once more emphasise that all the eligible grant beneficiaries with accounts at Postbank…

The Labour Court has called the 10-day unpaid suspension and a final written warning for an employee of the Bergrivier Municipality following the sexual harassment of a female colleague, totally unacceptable. The municipality turned to the Labour Court to review and overturn the slap on the wrist given to the employer - a Mr S. According to the municipality he deserved being fired - a sentiment shared by the Labour Court. Following a disciplinary hearing convened in terms of the South African Local Government Bargaining Council’s Disciplinary Procedure Collective Agreement (the DPCA), Mr S was found guilty of serious allegations of sexual harassment of a fellow employee. However, the chairperson who oversaw the proceedings under the DPCA, decided a suitable sanction is a 10-day suspension. The decision was binding on…

The Springboks were all smiles on Saturday night after they put 67 sparkling points past Argentina in Durban, but Siya Kolisi and Rassie Erasmus said the champagne is on ice until they complete the Rugby Championship job in London this week. The Boks are tantalisingly close to making history by defending their Rugby Championship title, something they have never achieved since the tournament’s inception in 1996. With one round remaining, they top the log with 15 points, followed by New Zealand (14), Australia (11) and Argentina (9). “We’re flying tomorrow (Sunday) and we’re playing at Twickenham next week, and we have to win that game or it’s just another missed Rugby Championship,” Erasmus said after Saturday night’s astonishing display at Kings Park. The Boks scored nine tries, and their handsome…

The Stormers won’t get too carried away with their statement opening win over defending champions Leinster in the United Rugby Championship (URC). After turning on the magic in the second half in Cape Town on Friday evening, the home side cruised to a commanding 35-0 victory, making a statement of intent early on. However, they know that following up this strong start will be crucial when they take on the Ospreys in round two. They will enjoy their doughnuts today — a treat sponsored by defence coach Norman Laker whenever they keep a team scoreless — but they are just as focused on putting in the hard work needed to build on the performance. While the Ospreys were floored by the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld, they will arrive at DHL…

The Proteas Women put the finishing touches to their World Cup preparations with a four-wicket win over Pakistan in yesterday’s ODI at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, a victory built on strong all-round performances by the South Africans. Pakistan managed to score 229/9 off 46 overs after choosing to bat first. South Africa replied with 233/6 in the 41st over, surviving an early batting wobble as skipper Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, and Marizanne Kapp all fell cheaply. Pakistan were 87/2 after 20 overs in their innings. Medium-pace spearhead Ayabonga Khaka claimed the first wicket, that of opener Muneeba Ali. Fellow seamer Nadine de Klerk then dismissed Omaima Sohail, before Sidra Amin and Sidra Nawaz steadied the ship for Pakistan. The Proteas struck two quick blows, with Annerie Dercksen removing…