Indholdsfortegnelse for 2021-06-29 i Cape Argus

Mthuthuzeli Ntseku mthuthuzeli.ntseku@inl.co.za A 9-YEAR-OLD girl from Hanover Park was wounded after she was hit by a stray bullet as gang-related shootings continue unabated on the Cape Flats. Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said the police were investigating an attempted murder case. “According to reports, she was transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. The suspects are unknown at this stage. She was discharged today,” he said. Community policing forum spokesperson Kashiefa Mohammed said the incident occurred two months after a child was shot in the eye. “Clearly, this is a sign that there is no progression with regards to fighting crime. How is it that despite law enforcement officers and police being active in the community, gang-related shootings continue uncontrollably? We have a ward councillor who has…

Mayibongwe Maqhina mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za THE SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) is pulling out all the stops to ensure those who fraudulently benefited from the R350 Covid Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant face the full might of the law. Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu said Sassa was also referring the cases to the Fusion Centre – consisting of the Financial Intelligence Centre, Special Investigating Unit, State Security Agency, National Prosecuting Authority and SAPS. Sassa was pushing government departments to discipline implicated public servants who obtained the grants fraudulently, Zulu said. The minister revealed this in reply to parliamentary questions by DA MP Gizella Opperman and her colleague, Mimmy Gondwe. Opperman wanted to know the total amount the auditor- general had found to have been de- frauded in payment of the…

THIS week sees me again focus on a number of significant events pertaining to homelessness in Cape Town. First, the spotlight falls on an historic event that took place at the gorgeous and politically relevant Salt River Community House. My heart swelled with pride, as homeless people from in and around Cape Town came together, for the first time, to help establish The Homeless Action Coalition that sees the homeless now having 50% representation whereas, previously, they had none. The meeting on Tuesday served to inform and give more detail on the formation of the coalition, but it also focused on the things that homeless people feel need to top the agenda of any discussions on homelessness. They also said what they expected of the coalition. There was amazing synergy…

Cllr Yagyah Adams | Cape Muslim Congress WE ALL make mistakes. Some repeat mistakes because we are human and to err is human. This is the nature of being human; we are all subject to questionable behaviours that challenge us. However, there are some errors that require analyses and deeper understanding. The mistakes can lead to catastrophic results if not stopped or managed with urgency and drastic action. For example, our nation’s history of racism is cruel and horrible. Since apartheid was a crime against humanity, I have always considered why some people believed, with conviction, that it was and is okay to be cruel or abusive towards another person simply because of their skin colour. Yes, apartheid abused dark-skinned people and advantaged light-skinned people with everything, from…

Khartoum: Integrating a powerful paramilitary force into the army has emerged as the latest stumbling block in Sudan’s transition to civilian rule following three decades under ousted strongman Omar al-Bashir. A civilian-military administration has led Sudan since August 2019 under a power-sharing deal, due to expire next year but extended after a peace deal in October with several rebel groups. Both deals stipulated the need for reform to the military, including the integration of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – formed in 2013 to crush rebels fighting Bashir’s government throughout Sudan – into the regular army. The RSF largely drew its members from Arab nomads and camel-herding Janjaweed militias whom rights groups accuse of atrocities in Darfur. Tensions between the RSF and the army have reportedly been simmering in recent…

IT WAS inevitable that as the numbers kept rising exponentially, something had to give, especially with Gauteng, the country’s economic hub, being the hardest hit. In trying to strike a balance, the government was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement on Sunday night saw the country being moved to level 4 of the lockdown as coronavirus cases soared. As of yesterday, Covid-19 cases stood at 1 928 897. Up to 59 900 people have died and 1 709 999 people have recovered. Hospital admissions are almost as high as during the height of the first wave in July last year, and the total number of cases is forecast to be twice as large as during the first two…

India has redirected at least 50 000 additional troops to its border with China in a historic shift toward an offensive military posture against the world’s second-biggest economy. Although the two countries battled in the Himalayas in 1962, India’s strategic focus has primarily been Pakistan since the British left the subcontinent, with the long-time rivals fighting three wars over the disputed region of Kashmir. Yet since the deadliest India-China fighting in decades last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration has sought to ease tensions with Islamabad and concentrate primarily on countering Beijing. Over the past few months, India has moved troops and fighter jet squadrons to three distinct areas along its border with China, according to four people familiar with the matter. India now has about 200 000 troops focused…

Naypyidaw: A junta trial of Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi will run longer than scheduled, her lawyers said yesterday, with the prosecution still to call nearly two dozen witnesses. The coup-ousted leader, who is under house arrest, faces an eclectic raft of charges in a trial her legal team had expected would be wrapped up by the end of July. But with 23 witnesses to go, “even the close of the prosecution side won’t be possible” by then, said her lawyer Khin Maung Zaw. Suu Kyi, 76, appeared at the tribunal yesterday to hear four junta witnesses testify against her. She is charged with flouting coronavirus restrictions during elections last year that her National League for Democracy (NLD) party won in a landslide. | AFP…

Shakirah Thebus shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za A POSITIVE Covid-19 case has put a halt to the tribunal by the Anglican Church to establish the truth about the alleged rape of Reverend June Dolley-Major 19 years ago. The tribunal began on Monday in St George’s Cathedral. Present were Dolley-Major and the accused – a bishop within the church, accompanied by his wife – and the two legal teams. Sixteen years ago, Dolley-Major was ordained as a priest in the same cathedral that will hold the hearing into her alleged rape at the Grahamstown Seminary. According to the Constitution Cannons of the ACSA, a cleric within the church is to be charged within five years of the offence; however the archbishop may extend this, which was done for the tribunal. Outside the cathedral, Dolley-Major said…

Nomalanga Tshuma nomalanga.tshuma@inl.co.za A KRAAIFONTEIN mother, whose two sons were killed in a house fire in Wallacedene early yesterday, is appealing for help to give them a dignified burial. Cynthia Nditha’s children, Sibavile Mkhunqwana, 16, and Ashley Lithemba Nditha, 14, were killed when their bedroom caught fire . Nditha said: “I’m not sure how the fire started, but I suspect it was an electrical fault. The boys were sleeping and so was I. By the time I woke, the room they were sleeping in was already engulfed in flames and I couldn’t save my children. “ I’m all alone here and I don’t even know where to start. I had to call social workers to connect me with the family of my other son (a foster child)…

From page 1 want to appeal to the public to respect this process, and in particular to allow the members of the tribunal to do our job. We are asked to engage in a process of discernment, which requires listening carefully, reflecting, praying, consulting and trying to reach an opinion about something which is in dispute from a long time ago,” he said. Reverend Mark Long said one of the presenters tested positive for Covid-19 and therefore could not proceed from the complainant’s side. Representing the accused, Lynette Myburgh said: “We’ve received the positive test and in light of the current situation, it is clear and obvious we cannot continue. It is regrettable that this matter should be delayed. I think it is in the interest of justice for this…

Kailene Pillay kailene.pillay@inl.co.za STATE Security Deputy Minister Zizi Kodwa yesterday insisted that hefty cash transfers into his personal bank account and lavish free accommodation in Cape Town were hand-outs from his EOH executive friend, Jehan Mackay, and not gifts to buy his influence on government tenders. Kodwa, who appeared at the Commission of Inquiry into state capture yesterday, maintained his story despite the commission revealing email exchanges where Mackay asked Kodwa to speak to people involved in tender processes. The commission referred to an email from Mackay to Kodwa asking him to speak to the “chairperson” regarding a R360 million tender in which EOH was bumped from the lead during the awarding process. In the very same email, Mackay told Kodwa to find out what an ANC branch needed so…

Zintle Mahlati zintle.mahlati@inl.co.za The vaccination of thousands of education sector works will continue despite the early closure of public and private schools, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said yesterday. Motshekga confirmed that the council of education ministers had agreed to an early closure of public and private schools tomorrow. This follows President Cyril Rampahosa's announcement on Sunday that the country was officially in level 4 of the risk-adjusted lockdown following a rise in coronavirus cases. Winter school holidays were scheduled to begin on July 9 and end on July 25. Motshekga said the rescheduled return to schooling will be on July 19. The minister said teaching will end tomorrow and by Friday all schools will be closed with teachers and management wrapping up on Thursday and Friday. Motshekga confirmed that…

Khotso K D Moleko | Bloemfontein WITH all that has been said about former president Thabo Mbeki, and the usual rubbishing of any positives in his presidency and present inputs, his predictions and analyses have proven accurate. The vindication of Mbeki concerning the so-called Aids denialism is the common approach by governments today to the coronavirus and the more deaths through it. One can conclude that modern governance is not about delivering services and fulfilling mandates but really about courting the media and capital to convince the public a leader is good. The claims by Mbeki that the drug companies cared less about saving lives and more about making profits are being proven correct. Is it not symbolic that at this time of the coronavirus not a single…

dRC: The city of Beni woke up to a curfew yesterday after three bombs rocked the conflict-plagued east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, with authorities warning they had reports more attacks were being planned. “I don’t want to see anyone in the street,” Beni mayor Narcisse Muteba said late on Sunday as he announced the curfew. “Everyone should go inside because we have information that something else is being planned.” On Sunday morning, a makeshift bomb went off in a Catholic church in the city, injuring two women, followed just hours later by a suicide bombing outside a bar. The day prior, a bomb exploded next to a petrol station on the outskirts of Beni without causing any damage. Beni is in the North Kivu province, one of two…

Shakirah Thebus shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za OVER a dozen motor vehicle accidents were reported yesterday morning and several informal settlements were affected by flooding as the City grappled with bad weather, bringing a cold front and heavy rain. The South African Weather Service said localised flooding is expected and will continue over the City and western parts of the Winelands, today. The City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre received reports of flooding in Gugulethu, Wynberg, Valhalla Park, Philippi and Khayelitsha, Macassar, Sir Lowry’s Pass Village and Lwandle. The City’s Traffic Service recorded 13 vehicle accidents by mid-morning due to the heavy rain and flooded roads in Bellville, Ottery, Athlone, Woodstock, Plattekloof and Panorama. Mayco member for Safety and Security JP Smith urged motorists to exercise caution when driving in the adverse weather. “The…

Colin David Reddy and Ralph Hamann THERE are growing expectations across the world for companies to show their commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR). This is especially so for large multinational companies. Their size, influence and geographic spread make such responsibility all the more important. But in reality how do multinationals respond both to global norms and diverse local expectations? This is especially salient in some African contexts. Many governments have developed empowerment regulations to increase the participation of local people in the economy. An analysis of 14 African countries by the South African legal firm Bowmans shows a growing emphasis on such regulations. But they have been difficult to implement. You might expect that multinationals used to meeting CSR demands would be proactive in responding to local empowerment…

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights yesterday called for systemic racism against black people to be immediately dismantled around the world to avoid repeating outrages like the killing of George Floyd. In a report to the UN Human Rights Council triggered by the death of Floyd, who was murdered by a white US police officer, Michelle Bachelet said the dehumanisation of people of African descent had fed a culture of tolerance for racial discrimination and violence. She set out an agenda for transformative change on racial justice and equality, and urged states to implement it. Bachelet’s recommendations include reparations for historical racism, as well as funding for groups like Black Lives Matter. “We need a transformative approach that tackles the interconnected areas that drive racism and lead to repeated…

WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up a major transgender rights case, leaving in place a lower court’s ruling that a Virginia school board acted unlawfully in preventing a transgender student from using a bathroom at his high school that corresponded with his gender identity. The justices opted not to hear the Gloucester County School Board’s appeal of a 2020 ruling by the Richmond-based 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals that transgender student Gavin Grimm is protected under the federal law that bars sex discrimination in education. The decision to reject the appeal is a victory for Grimm, who sued the school board in 2015 after officials at the school refused to allow him to use the boys’ bathrooms. | Reuters…

While British & Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland can certainly be pleased with his team’s 28-10 victory against Japan in the 1888 Cup at the weekend, it wasn’t enough to get the warning sirens to go off for the Springboks. The Lions produced a strong and composed opening half performance to go in 21-0 up at half-time but, as satisfactory as that scoreline sounds, they could have done more against a Japanese outfit that provided far from a decent test before the break. Sure, there were a few things that really stood out in the Lions’ game. For one, they looked settled as a team and that cohesion is something that might not be the case right from the start for the Boks after 19 months without international action, regardless…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za Royal AM did not turn up for their PSL promotion/relegation play-off clash against hosts Richards Bay at uMhlathuze Sports Complex yesterday and the outcome officially means that they have no chance of securing promotion to the DStv Premiership via the play-offs. Royal AM technically have one remaining play-off game to contest, against Chippa United tomorrow, but it appears unlikely that they will turn out for this one either as they have not honoured their three fixtures so far. Their non-participation in yesterday’s game resulted in a 3-0 victory for Richards Bay. The KwaZulu-Natal club, it seems, continue to rely on the court to award them first place in the GladAfrica Championship (previously the National First Division), which would grant them automatic entry into next season’s Premiership. In…

More doses are needed so we can ramp up to inoculating more than 120 000 people a week, Winde says Shakirah Thebus shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za AS THE country battles the third wave of Covid-19 infections, there is a scramble to get jabs in arms, but vaccinations are moving at a snail’s pace with the Western Cape only managing 10 000 vaccinations per day, with the same amount of daily infections. Provincial Health Department spokesperson Mark van der Heever said all sub-districts within the metro and rural areas were seeing a marked increase in Covid-19 cases. Over the previous week, more than 9 000 new active Covid-19 cases were reported in the Western Cape, painting a bleak picture as the province accelerates its vaccine roll-out. From June 20 to June 27, 9 202…

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons Tarryn-Leigh.Solomons@iinl.co.za UNITED Democratic Movement (UDM) leader Bantu Holomisa says he is expecting feedback from his lawyers this week regarding the party’s pending court action against Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan. Gordhan recently announced that the government had sold its 51% share of South African Airways (SAA) to Takatso Consortium. Political parties, various organisations and analysts were abuzz about the announcement, with all requesting more transparency on the so-called sale. Gordhan said Takatso would inject more than R3 billion into the deal. SAA has been in business rescue since December 2019 and business rescue practitioners ended the process two months ago. In a statement on June 11, the department announced that a due diligence process was under way. Last week Independent Media attempted to glean more information about the…

Koert Meyer | Welgelegen EARLIER this year we requested of the city council if something could be done about a massive Norfolk Pine tree in our street that was causing problems. Most of us are tree lovers, not realising how big and cumbersome trees can become over years. It was planted many years ago but now it had grown to more than 30 metres tall with a thick trunk. There was no way that it could be taken out. Parks and Forests sent out an assessor twice. The problem was the tree was right in the way of the neighbour’s outside wall, forcing the builders to erect the wall around it. At first the City would not do anything because they reckoned it was not their problem since…

Brett Herron | Good WHEN politicians are required to defend actions they have taken in the official execution of their duties they are entitled to have their costs paid by taxpayers or ratepayers. This entitlement does not extend to defending alleged criminal activities, as the Constitutional Court recently ruled in respect of former president Jacob Zuma – in a matter brought by the DA. Last Friday, GOOD wrote to the Office of the Public Protector requesting it to stop the DA-led City of Cape Town paying the legal costs of defending councillor Nora Grose, who is facing charges of fraud and money-laundering relating to City Covid food relief funds. It has come to light that the City is not only picking up Grose’s legal tab, but also the…

It’s time for a new strategy that puts women at the centre of economic recovery ONE of the intractable truths about South Africa’s flagging economy is that it is toughest on women. They face disproportionately greater financial challenges and in an economy scarce on jobs, are more excluded from economic participation than men. The perilous position has intensified during South Africa’s dire economic performance since democracy. The gap between the richest and the most impoverished has grown into the greatest recorded globally. Disastrous poverty has worsened. And over the past year, the number of employed people fell by 1.4 million while an annual contraction of gross domestic product (GDP) by 7.2% revealed dwindling national output amid a shrinking economy, further accelerating the likelihood of unemployment. After women’s economic participation deteriorated…

Jewish settlers agreed yesterday to leave a new outpost in the occupied West Bank that has stirred weeks of Palestinian protests following a deal with Israel’s government. Under the agreement, confirmed by settler leaders and the interior ministry, the settlers will leave the Eviatar outpost within days but their mobile homes will remain and Israeli troops will establish a base in the area. According regional settler leader Yossi Dagan, the defence ministry had agreed to study land claims to assess the prospect of a future recognised settlement. He said the agreement had been approved by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. About 50 Jewish families moved to Eviatar last month, erecting huts, tents and caravans – in defiance of international and Israeli law – on land near Nablus in the occupied West…

HERMAN GIBBS Comment This season, indomitable Kaizer Chiefs have made the Champions League formbook look like a comic strip as they worked their way to the final after emerging winners despite being decided underdogs each time. Chiefs need to continue this remarkable run and ride their luck. If not, everything points to a lopsided final given Al Ahly’s imposing credentials – nine-time champions and an unprecedented 14 final appearances. In Saturday’s semi-final second leg, Wydad AC had a massive possession advantage but failed to capitalise. Chiefs defence chased down the ball in all the channels and hoofed away anything that came close to their penalty box. Their style on defence did not ooze sophistication but on the day, it was impenetrable. Lady Luck came down hard on Chiefs before the…

Amid all the recent recycling of England’s football tournament suffering at the hands of Germany, their Euro 2000 group stage victory in Belgium 21 years ago seems to have slipped from the nation’s collective memory – and with good reason. Alan Shearer’s second-half goal secured England’s only tournament win over their old rivals since the 1966 World Cup final, but it proved a false dawn and instead did the defeated Germans a lot more long-term good. As England and Germany prepare for today’s Euro 2020 last 16 meeting at Wembley (6pm SA time kick-off), their historical footballing relationship can effectively be divided into the period before the 68th minute of their 1970 World Cup quarter-final, and after. England had triumphed in the 1966 World Cup final and looked to be…