Table of contents for 2025-10-08 in Cape Times

The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has noted recent media reports regarding the establishment of a KwaZulu-Natal CoGTA Pension Fund for Amakhosi and denies it has approved the application. It was announced in media earlier this week that the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs announced the official approval of the KZN COGTA Pension Fund for Amakhosi by the FSCA. This structured savings mechanism is designed to support the social standing of amakhosi by providing them with financial resources upon retirement, thereby recognising their lifelong service and commitment to their communities. However, the FSCA says the reports suggest that it has approved the registration of this fund.The Authority said it wishes to clarify that it has not received any application for the registration of this pension fund,…

World Bank says SA GDP growth is projected to accelerate from 0.5% in 2024 to 0.9% in 2025 South Africa’s economy is projected to grow modestly in 2025, supported by easing inflation and improving investor confidence, but structural weaknesses and persistent joblessness continue to weigh on the country’s recovery. This is according to the World Bank’s latest Africa’s Pulse report released on Tuesday, which provides economic analysis for Sub-Saharan Africa. The World Bank said gross domestic product (GDP) growth in South Africa was projected to accelerate from 0.5% in 2024 to 0.9% in 2025 and further speed up to an annual average rate of 1.2% in 2026–27. The biannual report forecasts regional growth to edge up to 3.8% in 2025 from 3.5% in 2024, driven by easing inflationary pressures and…

The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into alleged corruption within South Africa’s police service is more than an investigation into misconduct. It is a moment of reckoning for the country’s democratic values and a test of whether transparency can restore trust in institutions that have long struggled with credibility. At its core, the inquiry exposes the fragility of South Africa’s law enforcement institutions and how far they have drifted from their constitutional duty. The Commission, led by Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, has captured national and international attention because of the seriousness of the allegations. The fact that a sitting Minister of Police and senior police generals are accused of colluding with criminal cartels to subvert justice strikes at the very heart of state integrity. For ordinary South Africans, it raises painful questions…

When Eskom was formed in 1923 by visionary industrialist Hendrik van der Bijl, its purpose was to supply low-cost electricity as the foundation for South Africa’s industrialisation and diversification away from the gold mining industry, then the country’s dominant economic sector. Van der Bijl believed that the functions of an engineer could be embodied in one sentence: the promotion of the wellbeing of humankind. He played a pivotal role in the development of wireless telephony and authored the Van der Bijl equation, which defines the mathematics of the thermionic vacuum tube. His credentials were extensive—PhD, DSc, LLD, and Fellow of the Royal Society. Eskom was established as a vertically integrated utility responsible for generating, transmitting, and distributing electricity, maintaining system balance, and collecting revenue to sustain its operations. It was…

Tharisa Minerals, a subsidiary of the South African mining group Tharisa, has scored a significant legal victory in its dispute with the South African Revenue Service (Sars) over mining royalties. The Tax Court of the Republic of South Africa has ruled in favor of Tharisa Minerals in a case related to the calculation of mining royalties under the 2008 Mineral and Petroleum Resources Royalty Act. The court set aside Sars’s assessments for the 2015 and 2017 years of assessment, ordering the revenue service to review its methodology for determining Tharisa Minerals’ gross sales and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT). Specifically, the court ruled that Sars must factor in "operational realities" such as the grade recovery curve used by the company. The judgment, which affects both the 2015 year of…

Despite growing conversations around mental health, therapy is still surrounded by myths, stigma, and outdated ideas. Too often, people delay or avoid seeking help because of what they’ve heard in movies, whispered in communities or assumed from social media. As a result, many miss out on support that could genuinely change their lives. So let’s cut through the noise. Here are some of the most common myths about therapy and the truths that might just shift how you should see therapy. Myth 1: Therapy is only for a crisis; I’ll wait until things are really bad. The truth: Therapy isn’t just for crisis for growth. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), therapy can help at any stage of life, whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck in old patterns, or simply…

SUPREME Court of Appeal (SCA) Judge Nambitha Dambuza-Mayosi who is vying for one of the Constitutional Court’s vacant posts believes her current post will enable her to add more value to the country’s apex court. She made the remarks when the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) started with its interviews to fill various vacancies in the superior courts across the country. Dambuza-Mayosi was the first of the six candidates to take the hot seat, and her interview lasted for nearly three hours. She has been in private practice for 12 years and has been a judge since 2005. She acted for 12 months at the Constitutional Court before she took up office as a justice at the SCA. Dambuza-Mayosi told the panel, headed by Chief Justice Mandisa Maya, that she…

TRADE unions representing medical workers and nurses believe low-level workers could have been exploited and manipulated into enabling fraud and corruption syndicates to loot more than R2 billion from Tembisa Hospital. “It must not be that low-level employees are used by criminal syndicates and then they are protected. We must expose the extent of this rot at all levels because we believe that low-level workers could have been exploited and manipulated. “These syndicates should never be protected as they used workers to gain access to the R2 billion worth of corrupt contracts at Tembisa Hospital. The Department of Health must conduct a thorough investigation to get to the bottom of this corruption,” said National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) Gauteng ecretary, Mzikayise Tshontshi. His remarks follow…

Steel producer Cape Gate (Pty) Ltd is appealing a Competition Tribunal finding that it contravened a section of the Competition Act by participating in price-fixing in the market for the purchase of scrap metal in South Africa. Cape Gate and three other scrap metal buyers - ArcelorMittal, Columbus Stainless, and Scaw South Africa - were found to have operated as a cartel when buying scrap metal from merchants. Cape Gate chairman, Oren Kaplan, said they were extremely disappointed in the finding. "The matter was argued in mid-2019 and the Tribunal took more than six years to produce a decision. The Tribunal failed to take any cognisance of the fact that the pricing formula in issue was the outcome of transparent negotiations between the scrap buyers and the scrap merchants. “It…

WHATEVER happens between today and next week Tuesday night, the future of South African football, particularly for the senior national team, is in safe hands. History beckons for SA football in the next few days. Amajita will face Colombia in the U20 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 in Chile, while Bafana Bafana will clash with Zimbabwe and Rwanda in two crucial FIFA World Cup qualifiers. A victory for Amajita would make them the first South African national team, male or female, to reach a World Cup quarter-final. And that’s not all. Should Bafana beat Zimbabwe in Durban on Friday, and Rwanda in Mbombela next Tuesday convincingly, they could secure their ticket to the global showpiece in North America for the first time through the qualifiers since 2002. They qualified…

In a display of market confidence, the share price of Datatec, a JSE- and US-listed international information and communications technology (ICT) company, surged by 9.9% on Tuesday following the release of a trading statement heralding a strong performance across all its divisions in the first half of the 2026 financial year. By midday, shares were trading at R66.39, marking a substantial 75.49% increase over the past year. Datatec, which operates inmore than 50 countries supported by more than 11 000 partners, attributed the interim performance to the impressive results of its subsidiaries. Westcon, a leader in technology distribution and financial services, showcased an expanding margin along with strong profit growth. Meanwhile, Logicalis International demonstrated improved operational leverage, resulting in notably enhanced profitability through its collaborations with industry giants like Cisco,…

Industry leaders have warned that South Africa’s poultry sector faces mounting pressure from unfair US trade advantages, uncertainty around the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), and anti-dumping exemptions that undermine local producers. These concerns were raised during a webinar hosted by the FairPlay Movement on Tuesday, where stakeholders discussed the implications of US trade policies, avian influenza regulations, and the future of South Africa’s poultry industry. Izaak Breitenbach, CEO of the South African Poultry Association (SAPA), said it was concerning that the US continues to export chicken to South Africa without paying anti-dumping duties, despite the country losing its Agoa benefits. “That is actually and effectively allowing for dumping of chicken in South Africa. That agreement was reached during the Agoa negotiations of 2015,” Breitenbach said. “Subsequent to that,…

The South African mining industry has entered a new phase of resilience and reinvention, according to PwC’s SA Mine 2025 report, which highlights a sector balancing short-term headwinds with long-term transformation. The report shows that mining’s contribution to GDP held steady at around 6%, even as the sector grappled with rising costs, infrastructure bottlenecks, and policy uncertainty. Market capitalisation climbed by 8% to R1.3 trillion, driven largely by strong performances in gold and platinum group metals (PGMs). Gold was the standout performer, hitting record highs as investors turned to safe-haven assets amid geopolitical tensions and inflation concerns. Despite flat output and deep-level mining challenges, higher prices bolstered miners’ financial performance. PGMs also staged a comeback after a tough start to the year. Platinum prices surged above $1 600/oz, while palladium…

What do we want to show the world? Do we want to show that we are ready to embrace our energy-transition responsibilities and open Africa to the potential of nuclear energy, or are we going to continue neglecting to lead and simply follow? On 9 October, South Africa will take centre stage in the global energy conversation when the Department of Electricity and Energy co-hosts the 2025 G20 Nuclear Energy Ministerial Conference in partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Are we ready for this responsibility? I will be serving as both programme director and moderator during discussions that will examine the opportunities and challenges of scaling up nuclear deployment, advancing technology, and ensuring readiness for implementation. This is our moment to prove that South Africa is not merely…

THE Teddy Bear Foundation (TBF) represented by Section27 has hauled various government departments including Social Development, Justice and Constitutional Development, Basic Education to court for an order to discharge their constitutional and legislative obligations to maintain and implement the National Child Protection Register (NCPR). The case originates from a 2022 matter where Section27 represented a learner who a caretaker at a school in the North West province had raped. The school’s governing body and the North West Department of Education failed to take all steps necessary to hold the caretaker accountable. Section27 successfully intervened in the Mahikeng High Court, where it sought a mandatory order against various education authorities to act in accordance with their constitutional, legislative, and policy obligations. After securing the order, a disciplinary hearing was held, and…

The City has dismissed a Law Enforcement officer arrested in connection with the kidnapping and murder of a man who travelled to Bellville to view a vehicle he intended to purchase. The man’s body was later found in a shallow grave on the dunes between Monwabisi beach and Macassar. According to the Hawks, a City of Cape Town Law Enforcement vehicle, driven by now former law enforcement officer, Thandile Khesa, was utilized in the commission of the crime. This comes as two more suspects were arrested on charges of murder and are expected in court today. Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said: “A multi-disciplinary intelligence led operation comprising of the Hawks, Provincial Operational Command Centre Combat Team and City of Cape Town SSIMS resulted in the arrest of two suspects aged…

A group of about 300 Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) members and supporters marched through the city centre to deliver a memorandum of grievances to the three spheres of government, calling for decent and sustainable employment. The marchers gathered in Hanover Street before proceeding to the Provincial Legislature and later to the Civic Centre. Cosatu provincial secretary Malvern de Bruyn said: “We marched to the Provincial Legislature as well as to the Provincial Parliament, but this time around, we did it differently. We asked the Speaker of the National Parliament to come to the Legislature to collect the memorandum.” “The memorandum talked about the question of decent jobs for our people. It also addressed the issue of crime in the province. We referred to the issue of the…

FOR a generation of children spinach had magical powers. Their favourite cartoon character, Popeye the Sailor Man, would gobble it down, and instantly be charged up with superhuman strength to fight off villains. Tazmin Brits, the superhero of the Proteas Women’s team, has now revealed that she also has a secret food that gives her extraordinary talents. Only it’s not green spinach smoothies for Brits, but in actual fact South Africa’s favourite doughy deep-fried sweet treat. “I want to say maybe koeksisters,” Brits responded, when asked what she’s been eating that has led her to becoming the first women’s cricketer to score five centuries in a calendar year. It’s a well-known secret that batting coach Baakier Abrahams has a sweet tooth, and often keeps a few koeksisters in his kit…

ZIMBABWE know Bafana Bafana like the back of their hand – and that’s why, if underestimated, they — not Rwanda — could derail South Africa’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying hopes. A rivalry rooted in the southern part of the continent, Bafana and the Warriors are no strangers to each other. Beyond competing in regional tournaments, the two nations have clashed in continental and international fixtures over the years. Of course, it goes without saying that Bafana have historically had the upper hand. In their last 10 meetings across all competitions, South Africa have won six, drawn two, and lost two. So, as the two teams prepare to face off in the penultimate World Cup qualifier at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday night (6pm kick-off), it’s easy to see why…

South Africa faces the world’s most severe and persistent unemployment crisis, with more than 12 million people actively seeking work, according to a new report by the Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) released on Tuesday. The report, titled “South Africa’s Unemployment Catastrophe: A Call for Urgent Action,” paints a stark picture of an economy that has failed to generate sufficient jobs for nearly two decades. CDE executive director Ann Bernstein said the figures reflect a long-term structural failure. “For 17 years, 1 000 people have joined the unemployment queue every day. Over nearly two decades, South Africa’s labour force grew by 42 per cent, while total employment increased by barely 15%. The result: millions more work-seekers chasing far too few opportunities,” she said. This comes as the latest…

Developing economies can grow fast from low-income per capita bases if they implement economic reforms, which support human capital development and sound economic infrastructure. The latter is a catch-all, not only for physical infrastructure, but also sound government institutions, which uphold the rule of law and promote prudent financial management. In the early stages of development, mobilization of savings and capital accumulation are prominent. Fast-growing developing economies typically have high levels of investment. But investment requires funding. It is in this context that we should explore the role of insurance in economic development. In this regard, insurance companies play a vital role in financial intermediation by helping to overcome the problem of asymmetry of information that exists between savers and borrowers, which facilitates the collection and channelling of savings towards…

Good as we are in declaring days, weeks, and months of celebration, observation and of focus, we as a country spotlight October on transport and mobility. While of bona fide intent, year after year these spotlights have become nothing but short-term public relations campaigns, primality championed by government, selectively by the private sector and the development and donor community, depending on the issues and its priority on the global stage. Following energy, water and communications, transport remains a critical do-or-die enabler and a fundamental necessity for any major economic transformation in any society. From the invention of the wheel, the first steam rail engine and the Wright brothers’ first flight, to our first landing on the moon, innovation in mobility has altered the course of human development. South Africa’s transport…

Afrimat, the mid-tier mining and materials powerhouse, saw its share price climb by 2.87% on Tuesday morning, buoyed by an impressive forecast for its headline earnings per share (HEPS) for the six months ending August 31. The company revealed it expects HEPS to soar by between 90% and 95% compared to the same period last year, a promising sign for investors despite the stock’s recent struggles. Trading at R40.53, Afrimat’s shares have experienced a decline of roughly 40% since reaching R67.60 last year. However, the anticipated HEPS figures, projected to range between 100.7 cents and 103.4 cents—up from 53 cents in the previous year—may have sparked renewed investor interest. The positive outlook extends to earnings per share (EPS), which is expected to increase by 74% to 79%, projected between 101.4…

KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has dismissed a suggestion that the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) was a political initiative and that the decision to disband it was a lawful political decision. Replying during his testimony on the first day of the parliamentary inquiry into allegations on security matters, Mkhwanazi said such an argument “won’t stand”. “I will say they are wrong because a Minister of Police is not a member of a political party. “The Minister of Police is an executive member that is appointed in terms of the law of the Republic (and) is a cabinet member responsible for policing,” he said. “I don’t think the legislature cares as to which political party the member belongs to. To say it was a political decision, what if the…

A restaurant patron’s damages claim arising from a trip and fall has failed in the Western Cape High Court. The woman who tripped and fell while leaving the Stellenbosch restaurant following a work-related year-end function argued that the establishment was liable for the injuries she suffered when she fell on a dark pathway. At the time of the incident, the restaurant had been leasing a portion of the establishment from Hidden Valley Wines, situated on the Hidden Valley Estate. She suffered injuries as a result of that fall which was described as a right ankle trimalleolar fracture - a dislocation involving the articular surface of the ankle joint. The woman fell while walking to her and her husband’s parked vehicle in the parking area; however, it was established that she…

The Cape of Good Hope SPCA has welcomed the conviction and sentencing of 38-year-old Mozambican man Gustigu Mthini for a violent attack on a protected Spotted Eagle Owl along the Sea Point Promenade, earlier this year. In a shocking incident on February 16, Mthini was seen violently beating the owl with a stick in full view of horrified onlookers. The act, which was captured on video, triggered public outrage and prompted a determined investigation led by the SPCA’s Chief Inspector Jaco Pieterse. The owl later died from its injuries, with a postmortem revealing multiple fractures throughout its body. “This is a victory for the animals we serve and protect, animal cruelty has no place in our society. We all have a moral and legal duty to protect our wild animals,…

There’s something fascinating about watching greatness reinvent itself. It’s one thing to reach the summit, but quite another to risk it all in pursuit of staying there. That’s what Tiger Woods did when he rebuilt his golf swing — multiple times — while still sitting on top of the world. In 1997, Woods won the Masters by a record 12 strokes with a score of 18-under-par, as he dominated Augusta National with his driver, hitting the ball 20 to 30 metres further off the tee than the rest of the field. Tiger’s initial swing changes were about generating more speed and power, while the later ones — following knee and back problems — were about longevity and adaptability. Each rebuild sought to iron out inefficiencies, reduce strain on his body,…