Indholdsfortegnelse for 2021-07-29 i Cape Argus

Baldwin Ndaba baldwin.ndaba@inl.co.za FINANCE Minister Tito Mboweni has dismissed claims that the government’s re-introduction of the R350-a-month social relief of distress (SRD) grant was merely a measure to boost the ANC’s electoral chances ahead of the upcoming local government elections. Mboweni made the denial while responding to questions during a virtual media briefing, where he provided more details of his R38.9 billion package to assist unemployed people and businesses hard hit by the violent protests in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. The government has set aside R27bn for the payment of SRD grants to eligible and unemployed people, but Mboweni insisted that the ANC had nothing to do with it. Mboweni said: “We operate within a society which experiences a lot of distress. Any caring government will come to the support…

Shakirah Thebus shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za A TREASURED cultural landmark in Bo-Kaap, the Biesmiellah Restaurant, has been damaged in a blaze. The fire at the restaurant on the corner of Wale and Pentz Streets started on Tuesday night. The City’s Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, confirmed that its services received an emergency call of a building alight in Wale Street, Schotsche Kloof, at 9.36pm on Tuesday. Fire crews from Roeland Street, Sea Point and Milnerton were dispatched to the scene. “It was found to be the Biesmiellah Restaurant which was on fire. Crews managed to contain the fire to the rear of the kitchen,” said Carelse. “The fire was extinguished at 10.24pm and the building was handed over to the owners.” The cause of the fire is not yet known,…

EVERY time I travel to Muizenberg (which I do quite often), I see the little group of homeless people sheltering under the railway bridge, huddled in their scraps of blanket and cardboard, trying to keep warm and relatively dry, and I realise just how lucky I am to have a safe, warm place of my own to come home to. I can’t imagine how miserable it must be to have no roof over your head, no running water, no toilet, no food or money. Not far from that bridge there’s an unused block of apartments and I sometimes wonder whether it could be used to provide better shelter for those poor homeless souls under the bridge. It appears to be standing empty, but I realise there are probably many sound…

FAROUK ARAIE | GAUTENG OUR democracy is facing threats we have not witnessed in our recorded history. We were warned by many on numerous occasions of the mortal danger that demagogues posed to our democracy. We witnessed carnage on an epic scale, that will be embedded in our collective memories and recorded in history books for generations to come. The war for truth is now to preserve our democracy. Over the past 27 years, two unwritten norms have preserved our rainbow nation’s political system. They were mutual toleration, in which parties accept each other as legitimate rivals, and forbearance, in which politicians exercise restraint in using their institutional powers. The fiery, looting carnage completely destroyed that sacred accord, in an earth-shattering volcanic inferno. The role played by those…

Washington: As the divide between the country’s pro- and anti-immunisation regions widens, and the dangerous Delta variant keeps gaining ground, experts are calling for more mandates in jurisdictions, colleges and businesses. The idea has sparked controversy in a nation that cherishes individual liberty, but these concerns need to be weighed against collective well-being, Gregory Poland, a professor of medicine and infectious diseases at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota told AFP. “What happens when the world’s on fire? Do you allow people to stand there with matches and gasoline? What happens with the disease where the decision you make not only affects you, but affects people around you, or that you’ve come into contact with?” he asked The administration of President Joe Biden stated at the end of March it would not…

Mthuthuzeli Ntseku mthuthuzeli.ntseku@inl.co.za WITH bad weather continuing to batter the city, residents in certain areas say they are experiencing power outages for prolonged periods. This as the City says it was attending to a high volume of electricity service requests triggered by recent severe storms, load shedding and ongoing infrastructure vandalism. The City said its Electricity Call Centre and electricity depots were working with a skeleton staff due to a number of Covid-19-positive cases, and this was affecting its service delivery and turnaround times. Residents in Mfuleni said the outages were created by Covid, a newly established informal settlement whose residents were illegally connecting from their electric poles and putting a strain on their electricity supply. Resident Anela Madikane said that at times the residents would go without power…

LIMPOPO police have welcomed the lengthy sentences handed down by the Mokopane Regional Court for four people convicted of armed robberies and other crimes committed along the N1 between Limpopo and Gauteng. Three of the four were sentenced this week. John Fine, Clifford Mutonhori and Figos Madisha, all in their 30s, were rearrested on Saturday after escaping from a police vehicle near Polokwane last Wednesday, police spokesperson Motlafela Mojapelo said He said 48-year-old Baloyi was sentenced to 20 years, Fine was sentenced to 22 years on four counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, Mutonhori was also sentenced to 22 years and Madisha was sentenced to 22 years on four counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances. | African News Agency (ANA)…

Protests will continue to take place if poverty is not urgently eradicated THE recent protests were sparked by the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma. His arrest might have started the protests, but the protests have spiralled into something far greater. These protests/riots mirror the consequences of what happens when people live in extreme poverty, joblessness, and brazen inequality. On Monday evening, July 12, President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation and condemned the actions of the protesters. Ramaphosa missed the opportunity to appeal to the protesters as people; to identify with their daily struggles and speak to them from genuine concern and empathy. Instead, President Ramaphosa delegitimised the protests, claiming that the violence and damage to property were against the nature of protest. The outcome is a whitewashing of protest…

Tunisia lurched further into political uncertainty yesterday as President Kais Saied sacked more officials, days after he suspended parliament and assumed executive powers in what opponents called a coup. Key civil society groups warned against any “illegitimate” extension of Saied’s 30-day suspension of parliament, and demanded a timeline for political action. After suspending parliament and sacking Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi on Sunday, and firing the defence and justice ministers on Monday, Saied then ordered the dismissal of several top officials. On Tuesday, 63-year-old Saied, a former law lecturer who was a political newcomer when he won a landslide 2019 presidential election victory, issued decrees sacking a long list of senior government officials, including the army’s chief prosecutor. He has also lifted the parliamentary immunity of legislators and assumed judicial powers.…

ISTANBUL: Turkish authorities have intercepted a boat carrying more than 200 Afghan migrants in the Aegean sea heading for Europe, Turkey’s coastguard and the International Organisation for Migration said yesterday. The interception near Turkey’s western shores came as hundreds of Afghans cross into eastern Turkey from Iran, after a rise in violence in their own country as the US and its Nato allies withdraw and Taliban fighters seize territory. Officials said last week they had detained 1 500 irregular migrants, most of them Afghans, near the Iranian border in the previous 10 days. The migrants intercepted in the Aegean were believed to be en route to Italy, the coastguard official said. Of the 231 on the boat, 208 were Afghans, the official added. | Reuters…

W Cape education department slated for cost of disciplinary hearing Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za THE Western Cape Education Department of Education’s (WCED) dogged persecution of a school principal who warned parents and learners against the opening of their schools amid the Covid-19 pandemic has cost the department nearly R700 000. Heathfield High School principal Wesley Neumann is awaiting his fate after a disciplinary hearing lasting 25 days during which parents, teachers and learners protested in his defence. Neumann faced six charges following his refusal to reopen the school amid the peak of Covid-19 infections last year. The WCED closed its case after six days while Neumann’s defence lasted 19 days. It emerged during questions in the legislature that the disciplinary hearing cost R663 326 including R581 026 for legal representation and…

Mthuthuzeli Ntseku mthuthuzeli.ntseku@inl.co.za FORMER provincial head of detectives Jeremy Vearey has approached the High Court again over Western Cape Police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile’s failure to properly implement a court order to reinstate his security detail. In the application, Vearey wants Patekile to be found guilty of contempt of the court order and be imprisoned for 30 days, suspended on condition that he fully complies with the order with immediate effect. Vearey initially approached the Western Cape High Court on July 5 to have his security detail reinstated. On July 15, the court ordered that National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole and Patekile assign Vearey two members of the Tactical Response Team who were vetted and appraised with security threats against him, while when required to attend court for testifying…

SAMKELO MTSHALI THE recent unrest should not be attributed purely to hunger and poverty, as the unrest was a manifestation of myriad issues, some of the country’s thought leaders have said. This emerged during a webinar titled “The Serious State of the Nation: Where to from here?” whose panellists included Dr Imtiaz Sooliman of the Gift of the Givers, political commentator Khaya Sithole, Professor Leila Patel and Tracey Henry, chief executive of Tshikululu Social Investments. Sithole said: “What we’ve seen now is just a snapshot of what South Africa’s long-term trajectory will be like unless we do something drastic, unless we do something radical, and unless we do something that is responsive to the state of the nation as it is, rather than what we wish it was.” Sooliman…

JM Chipkin | Bantry Bay IT IS puzzling that weeks after the riots, looting and violence in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, President Cyril Ramaphosa has done nothing to name and charge with treason the 12 suspects he said were responsible for inciting the unrest. Who are these people who wrought carnage and damage to property and livelihoods? Why is the president silent? The public is entitled to know what is being done about these miscreants. Speak up, Mr President, and let us know what is going on.…

ARE we really serious about creating an education system in South Africa where we have a society where all children have an equal access to excellent education. Before democracy the oppressed were united in opposing private schools and fighting for one educational system. Promises, promises. Now a so called liberated UCT (which the late Dr Richard Dudley of Livingstone High School accused of racism during the apartheid era) is instituting an online private high school. An ex-student of Livingstone High School during apartheid recalls a story of Dr Dudley. In a matric physics class where Dudley was dealing with gasses – he told students to look towards Table Mountain. This brilliant teacher said: “Not even the mist covering Table Mountain can hide the racism at UCT.” I know many universities…

Paris: France’s highest appeals court yesterday upheld the conviction of Equatorial Guinea’s Vice President Teodorin Obiang for accumulating luxury properties with illegally obtained funds, in a growing French push against assets amassed by corrupt elites. The rejection by the Court of Cassation of the ultimate appeal by Teodorin Obiang, pictured, the son of Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang, marks the first final conviction in France of a leading figure in a string of such investigations in progress for over a decade. The court threw out Obiang’s final appeal against his suspended three-year prison sentence, a 30 million euro ($35 million) fine and the confiscation of all assets seized in the investigation that had been ordered by a lower appeals court in February 2020. His assets could now be redistributed to…

staff reporter AVID climber Professor Thuli Madonsela summited Mount Kilimanjaro on Nelson Mandela Day on July 18 as part of an all-women team that climbed with her. The Thuma Foundation congratulated its founder, Madonsela, and the #Trek4Mandela- #Caring4Girls team that organised the expedition. The foundation said Madonsela’s trip was sponsored by Paul Dunn and Northam Platinum. “We also thank all who have continued to donate money and sanitary pads to the #Caring4Girls initiative aimed at liberating girl education from period poverty barriers, while fostering self-leadership and resilience among girls.” Madonsela’s summiting of Kilimanjaro, along the Rongai Route in Tanzania, is her second. Her first was via the Marangu Route in 2019 on Women’s Day, August 9. Reflecting on the climb and her reason for reaching the summit, Madonsela said: “In…

SKILLS development is one of the cornerstones of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE), and makes up a significant percentage of the scorecard. Rather than seeing it as a compliance exercise, South African businesses need to shift their mindset. The goal of B-BBEE is not to stifle businesses, but to provide a fair environment for all, and to uplift previously disadvantaged people to enable them to earn an income, and contribute to the gross domestic product of the country. Skills development should be seen as an opportunity to grow economic participation, which ultimately will benefit all businesses by bolstering the country’s economy. The foundation of B-BBEE B-BBEE is a pre-requisite for doing business in South Africa, especially when large organisations and government tenders are involved. The goal is not to create…

Khomotso Letsatsi SOUTH Africa is facing a mammoth challenge with the economy that is performing far below its potential as evidenced by slow economic growth over the past few years and job losses. Despite the economic environment, cities have continued to intensify collection efforts resulting in levels on average of over 88%. Given the devastation on the economy by the Covid-19 pandemic, macroeconomic and the global economic outlook, the South African metropolitan municipalities continue to show resilience. The latest credit ratings by Moody’s on metros should be seen within the context of the increasing pressure that councils are facing in trying to meet debt payments due to falling revenue as a result of cash-strapped consumers who are unable to pay for the services rendered; rates and taxes. While Moody’s…

The US and Russia were holding a fresh round of talks in Geneva yesterday aimed at stabilising their thorny relationship. The talks are a continuation of the strategic dialogue that started last month in the Swiss city with the first summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden. The meeting took place behind closed doors. The talks, being led by US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, were expected to last most of the day. The US mission in Geneva posted two pictures of Sherman meeting Ryabkov. They were both standing indoors in front of their respective flags and wearing face masks. In one of the pictures, they were touching elbows. The talks will cover the thorny issue of arms…

Rabat: The US position on disputed Western Sahara remained unchanged under President Joe Biden’s administration, a senior State Department official said in Morocco yesterday. Under former president Donald Trump, the US became the first Western country to recognise Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara in exchange for Rabat’s normalisation of relations with Israel. Joey Hood, the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, instead called for the speedy appointment and backing of an envoy to the UN secretary-general “so that we can get a solution that is acceptable to all parties”. Morocco laid claim to the Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony. But the Algeria-backed Polisario Front took up arms to demand independence there. | AFP…

Liam Karabo Joyce liam.joyce@inl.co.za Many South Africans might not know of Joya Mooi. However, one search on music platforms like Apple Music and a long list of results pop up, from albums to singles. A further search on Google reveals the singer and songwriter has deeper roots in South Africa. Born to an exiled South African father and Dutch mother, Mooi recently released her new single, Remember. She is known for her enchanting vocals that have won the hearts of devoted fans over the years. Her music is a blend of soul and alternative R&B with a strong jazz influence. She exercises self-expression in impeccably creative ways and this makes her even more delightful. With the success of her debut EP Blossom Carefully, her new music is a testament to…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za THE situation on Cape Town’s disputed Paarl to Cape Town taxi route appears to have been stabilised after it was closed to the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) and Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (Codeta), following deadly shootings. Transport and Public Works MEC Daylin Mitchell said there were currently no disruptions on the route. Mitchell said he was pleased with the current operation. He thanked commuters for working with authorities on the new transport arrangements. This after Mitchell instructed several minibus taxi ranks to close for two months to bring stability and peace between the two taxi associations, after more than 20 people were shot and killed this month in the ongoing taxi violence. The closure included the B97 route, between Bellville and Mbekweni (Paarl), two…

Shakirah Thebus shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za ONE of the heroes of the Devils Peak blaze has returned home, to the delight of his wife and two children after spending four months in hospital being treated for severe burns. The Eerste River firefighter was discharged from the Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital after having been admitted on April 18, the day the fire at Philip Kgosana Drive broke out. After 11 days in hospital, he stood for the first time, while on a ventilator, supported by hospital staff. He suffered severe burns to his face, neck, arms, and hands. The tips of his fingers had to be amputated. Speaking to the Cape Argus, thefirefighter, who asked not to be named, but agreed to have his picture published, said he had been fighting fires for…

Werner Ehlers | Mt Michael It is absolutely astonishing to learn that, to date, the instigators of the debacle (euphemistically termed “unrest”) from July 9th to 13, have not yet been named nor been put behind bars. The trauma, war damage and concomitant repercussions, nationally and internationally, not to mention mention insurance-wise, are a major factor in SA, and cannot be left to diffidence and irresolute discussions. The culprits should have all been rounded up and imprisoned by the July 15, if not sooner. Recent threats of worse, made by Malema, would indicate that he may be one of them and, if so, is he such a frightening figure that no-one can lay hands on him? Mr President, I appeal to you to at least let the…

KOERT MEYER | Anti-death penalty activist, former history educator and scholar WHEN the Firearms Control Amendment Bill was mooted, all hell broke loose with a flurry of public utterances by proponents of gun ownership. The letter writer of “Being gun-free is no guarantee of safety” (Cape Argus, July 19) is one of the lead singers in this choir. Just like the death penalty this is one of the most vexatious matters that man has to deal with from the earliest times and, rightly so, it always leads to fierce debates. This brother’s tirade started in all earnest soon after the St James Massacre on July 25, 1993 with the loss of 11 lives. He was the self-proclaimed “hero” armed in church with his little gun, who answered fire…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday that the social relief of distress grant (SRD) of R350 would be reinstated until March. It expired in January after more than R16 billion was paid to about 6.5 million monthly recipients since May last year. The announcement was made in the aftermath of the looting and violence that gripped KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng two weeks ago. Looted businesses and shopping malls are trying to rebuild. Some have re-opened this week, however many are yet to do so and this raises concerns about food supply and expected food price hikes. Agricultural economist Dawie Maree had told Independent Media that with the limited food supply and limited availability, prices would increase but added that this would not be a long-term effect on food price inflation. “This…

The Olympic host city Tokyo registered a record 3 177 new coronavirus cases yesterday, authorities announced, as rising infections put pressure on hospitals. The rise will add to worries about the Games, taking place under unprecedented sanitary conditions including a ban on spectators in most venues. It also spells trouble for Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, whose support ratings are at their lowest since he took office last September, ahead of a ruling party leadership race and a parliamentary election this year. Nationwide, the number of new Covid-19 cases exceeded 9 000 for the first time, according to public broadcaster NHK’s calculations Governors of three prefectures near Tokyo will ask the government today to declare states of emergency for their regions, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who leads Japan’s Covid-19 response, told…

Nairobi: A lion caused panic yesterday after straying from its habitat in Nairobi National Park into a crowded suburb during morning rush hour south of the Kenyan capital. The young male cat was seen by panicked residents in a trench behind a concrete wall and some metal sheeting in Ongata Rongai, a residential area that borders the park. The Kenyan Wildlife Service was called to intervene and dispatched rangers and veterinary staff to the scene, where a large crowd had gathered. The lion was darted, immobilised and transferred to the veterinary facility. The park is just 7km from the heart of Nairobi, and incidents of animals wandering into the metropolis are not unheard of. | AFP…