Indholdsfortegnelse for 2021-11-11 i Cape Argus

ORGANISATIONS this week called for the Commissioner of the Compensation Fund and Minister of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi, to withdraw “irrational and damaging" Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (Coida) new rules, saying it would hurt workers’ rights. Injured Workers Action, United Domestic Workers of South Africa, the South African Medical Association, National Employers Association of South Africa (Neasa), Compensation Solutions and CoidLink are up in arms against the regulations. The group in an open letter to Nxesi this week said: “Collectively, we represent more than 130 cross-sectoral bodies, ranging from health-care associations to medical practices, unions and companies, who, in turn, represent over 4 million impacted parties who are deeply concerned about the chronic and persistent failings of the Compensation Fund.” The rules circumvent a decision…

Gerry Cupido and Marchelle Abrahams EVERYBODY loves a nice guy. A guy who will shower you with love and affection, spoil you with gifts and be your knight in shining amour. This is why Joe Goldberg, the character from the Netflix series You, is appealing to many women. Even though he’s a stalker and a violent serial killer who will eliminate anyone in his path to happiness and ever-lasting love. Most great love stories start with a nice guy who puts his best foot forward to win a woman’s affection. And this is how the nice guy can easily turn into a crazy possessive freak as his true colours starts to show. By then, the women are stuck in an abusive relationship with no way out. Watching You character Joe,…

Nomalanga Tshuma nomalanga.tshuma@inl.co.za POLICE are failing the country in the way errant officers are handled, said DA provincial social development spokesperson Gillion Bosman. A recent parliamentary reply indicated that since 2012, 59 officers were charged with sexual assault, out of 2 057 officers who were charged with violent misconduct in the Western Cape, Bosman said. “The breakdown of the disciplinary actions per offence is inconsistent. The reply from SAPS indicates that all 59 officers faced disciplinary action but later states that four of these officers had ‘no steps taken against them’. “I have submitted further questions to SAPS through Parliament to ascertain how these four officers were indeed disciplined with no steps taken against them, and more importantly, why there was no action taken in this regard. “SAPS stipulated…

Kristin Engel kristin.engel@inl.co.za AT A time when affordable, safe and sustainable public transport is difficult to find in Cape Town, Transport and Public Works MEC Daylin Mitchell yesterday handed over 20 bicycles to the Baptist Church in Grassy Park. The move is part of the department’s Provincial Sustainable Transport Programme (PSTP). The bicycles are to be kept at the church and used by various schools and community-based organisations in the area to facilitate a sustainable transport system for youngsters and the community in Grassy Park. Mitchell said another 20 bicycles would be handed out over the next two weeks to further support the development and implementation of sustainable transport systems. Bearfish Strategic Services public health specialist Joanne Korrigall said the organisation worked with the department to manage its inter-sectoral hot-spot…

Baldwin Ndaba baldwin.ndaba@inl.co.za ESKOM chief executive officer André de Ruyter is adamant that the R131 billion loan deal secured at COP26 will help in an uninterrupted supply of electricity and the introduction of electric vehicles including the hydrogen economy in South Africa. De Ruyter made these revelations during a virtual meeting briefing yesterday when he gave the nation an update on the effects of load shedding and the power utility’s intention to lift it by 5am on Saturday. He said the deal was the outcome of discussions between the US, Germany, the UK, France and the EU which agreed to assist South Africa with its move from coal to renewable energy. “The funds allocated would assist Eskom with the Just Energy Transition Partnership [to support South Africa’s decarbonisation efforts]. The…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za Eskom has been asked to consider the plight of learners and students during exams when it institutes load shedding. SA Democratic Teachers Union general secretary Mugwena Maluleke said load shedding had become the single biggest distraction to learners and students whose preparations for the examinations had become a nightmare. Mugwena called on the responsible authorities including Eskom, the Department of Basic Education and all other relevant authorities to urgently find a reasonable mechanism to reduce the adverse impact of load shedding on the current examinations. Congress of South African Students acting provincial secretary Mphumzi Giwu said matrics had been negatively affected by the ongoing load shedding. Giwu said they had been receiving complaints about how difficult it was for learners to study due to the two hours…

staff reporter THE colourful Cape Town Festival, which had a hiatus because of the Coronavirus pandemic, is set to return and join hands with Artscape to help struggling artists. Former Festival CEO Yusuf Ganief, who is returning as executive chairperson, said the revival of the ailing Cape Town Festival is to support artists battling to survive under the economic pressures caused by Covid-19. “A recent survey conducted in 2020 by IKS (indigenous knowledge systems) and arts organisation Samro, revealed the shocking figures that nearly 50% of artists have given up their careers and 40% have sold their musical instruments to survive. “Having been a musician myself for 13 years, I understand the plight of artists and would like to use my experience as an arts administrator to develop sustainable projects…

BEFORE World Diabetes Day, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has released new figures showing that 537 million adults are now living with diabetes worldwide – an increase of of 16% (74 million) since the previous IDF estimates in 2019. These findings from the 10th Edition of the IDF Diabetes Atlas, which will be published on December 6, report that 4.2 million adults in South Africa are living with diabetes – one in nine adults. The diabetes prevalence in South Africa has reached 11.3% – the highest in Africa. The country will also register an estimated 96 000 deaths due to diabetes in 2021, while the cost of diabetes-related health expenditure has risen to $1 700 per person, totalling an estimated $7.2 billion. Just under half (45.4%) of people living with…

I HATE SUZIE SHOWMAX Suzie Pickles, a star on the wane, has her whole life upended when her phone is hacked and a photo of her in an extremely compromising position is released for the whole world to see. This excruciatingly honest show follows the various stages of Suzie’s trauma episode by episode, through shock, denial, fear, shame, bargaining, guilt, anger, and acceptance as Suzie and her best friend and manager Naomi try to hold her life, career, and marriage together in the face of being exposed for who she truly is. But who the hell is that? MY LIFE IS MURDER UNIVERSAL TV, DSTV CHANNEL 117, 8PM Private investigator Alexa Crowe (Lucy Lawless) and Madison (Ebony Vagulans) are on the case after a woman supposedly shoots a stranger…

Marchelle Abrahams marchelle.abrahams@inl.co.za YOU know Netflix’s famous tagline “Netflix and chill”? It has a whole new ring to it after a study conducted by a UK sex toy review website. According to Daily Sex Toys, online interest for dildos and similar sex toys shot up by 87% since the October release of Netflix’s Sex, Love & Goop, hosted by Gwyneth Paltrow. In the world of pop culture, Paltrow’s pseudo-science hot takes have made her a sex guru of sorts. It’s also probably the reason why she managed to bag two Netflix deals, the most recent being Sex, Love, and Goop. With Paltrow heading a cast of experts, the docu-series gives an intimate glimpse of courageous couples’ journeys towards more pleasurable sex and deeper intimacy. Pleasure aids have grown in popularity…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za THE case of Thomas Mitchell, 66, the man charged with bestiality after sexually violating a family’s dog, has been postponed until January 11. NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the postponement was occasioned by the DNA report not being before the court. Mitchell, who appeared at the Simon’s Town Magistrate’s Court and is currently out of custody on a warning, was arrested in August after he was caught violating the dog. He was reported to the authorities by the daughter of a woman who was his girlfriend and faces charges in terms of Criminal Law (sexual offences and related matters) Amendment Act 32 of 2007. The young woman said she walked into the house in Ocean View and found the man, allegedly with his pants down, on top…

Mayibongwe Maqhina mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za AUDITORS have criticised Eskom for its lack of proper record-keeping on R11 billion in irregular expenditure incurred when its finances for 2020-21 were audited. The auditors found that non-availability of records hampered verification of the spending processes. “This record-keeping is an issue to be addressed properly before one can say how we prevent and start addressing issues around irregular expenditure,” auditor Siyakhula Vilakazi said when the office of Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke, through audit firm Sizwe Ntsaluba-Grant Thornton, briefed the standing committee on public accounts on the audit of Eskom’s finances. Vilakazi said they have been qualifying Eskom on irregular expenditure since 2016-17 as there was no evidence it complied with the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA). “When we ask for explanations from Eskom as to why those…

Jamal Grootboom jamald.grootboom@inl.co.za SOCIAL media influencer Nadia Jaftha has distanced herself from queerphobic comments made by her brother, Taariq Jaftha, on Tuesday. Taariq took to his Instagram Stories where he proclaimed to be anti-LGBT(QIA+) in several posts. He said being “LGBT is a disease, not a human right”. He said although he was against violence and queer people being attacked, he co-signed the controversial Ghanaian bill that would criminalise homosexuality and make advocating for LGBT people a crime. And if “they publicise their sins lock em up”. During his rant, the Tropika Island of Treasure Curaçao winner distanced herself from his comment in an Instagram Story and said: “Love who you want, be who you want and surround yourself with people you want. “Never change! For you are wonderful,…

Shakirah Thebus shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za SOUTH Africa is joining other nations as it provides health-care workers with extra protection against Covid-19 with vaccine boosters. About 57 health-care workers received a Johnson & Johnson (J&J) booster dose at the Khayelitsha District Hospital yesterday. Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo was in attendance for the launch. All health-care workers who were vaccinated as part of the Sisonke 1 study, between February 17 and May 16 will be eligible to participate in Sisonke 2, and will be offered a J&J booster dose. Mbombo said about 90 000 health-care workers in the Western Cape were part of the Sisonke 1 implementation study. “The national Department of Health has applied to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) so that all others who don't want to be part…

Rafieka Williams rafieka.williams@inl.co.za A CAPE Town single mother became a millionaire yesterday when she was announced the winner of R1 million cash prize in a contest hosted by a local radio station. On Monday night, Noeleen Marais received a call that she was selected as one of the finalists in the contest that ran since October. Marais, who lives in Kraaifontien and has a 14-month-old boy, said the first thing she would do was move into a bigger place. She also planned to pay off debt and keep some money for her son to have a good education. “I don’t even know if someone has the right words to describe the type of love, calmness and blessings that have been pouring over me. “It’s a one-in-a-million feeling that you…

Lehlohonolo Mashigo lehlohonolo.mashigo@inl.co.za AHEAD of Finance Minister Enoch Godongwane’s first medium term budget policy statement (MTBPS) today, SA Cane Growers chairperson Andrew Russell has called on him to scrap the health promotion levy (HPL or sugar tax). Russell said Godongwane’s delivery will come six days before the one-year anniversary of the Sugar Industry Value Chain Masterplan. The plan, Russell explains, was developed to tackle the major challenges facing the industry and ensure its survival and long-term sustainability. Unfortunately, he says, the success of the masterplan continues to be threatened by the impact of the sugar tax on revenue and employment. “If the government is serious about ensuring the long-term sustainability of the sector and protecting the one million livelihoods it supports, it must do away with the job-killing sugar tax,”…

MIKE GREENAWAY mike.greenaway@inl.co.za SCOTLAND flyhalf Finn Russell has taunted the Boks by suggesting that he may change to a kicking style when the teams meet at Murrayfield on Saturday afternoon (3pm kick-off), but his opposite number, Elton Jantjies, is buying none of it. Russell famously loves to run the ball and since the end of the British & Irish Lions tour, he has questioned whether coach Warren Gatland’s conservative (kicking) approach against the Boks was the right strategy. Russell came on in the third Test for Dan Biggar and tried to get the Lions backline going, with some success, and now that he is back with his beloved Scotland, it is hard to believe he is going to change tack. Russell said: “I chatted to a few of the Springboks…

Given Majola given.majola@inl.co.za FINANCE Minister Enoch Godongwana will need to look at how the small business sector can help grow the fiscus, and the solution lies in creating an enabling environment for business and small medium enterprises (SMEs) to thrive and create jobs, says Lulalend chief risk officer Garth Rossiter. According to the SME services provider, the vast majority of jobs come from SMEs in the private sector, which had been badly knocked by the Covid-19 pandemic. “We want to see plans that help SMEs operate efficiently with as little cost and red tape as possible,” said Rossiter. Lulalend said it expected that Godongwana would continue to look at reducing the corporate tax rate over time to align South Africa more closely with its trading peers and make it more…

Shingai Darangwa shingai.darangwa@inl.co.za The fallout from Travis Scott’s Astro- world Festival catastrophe has been brutal. The 30-year-old artist, once virtually unblemished, is teetering on cancel territory. It all started on Friday when, during Scott’s set at the festival, named after his most recent album, Astro-world, at least eight people including teenagers died during a frenetic crowd surge toward the stage. Videos of the chaotic scene in Houston, Texas, have flooded social media, causing many to question how such a catastrophe could have unfolded – all while the Sicko Mode rapper continued to perform as mayhem unfolded. The Washington Post did a video reconstruction, which showed the concert continuing despite desperate pleas for help from the crowd. Scott and his partner, Kylie Jenner, claim they were unaware of the severity of…

Georgie Midgley The government’s announcement that children aged 12 to 17 are eligible for Covid-19 vaccination has brought with it intense discussion around consent and the rights of minors. While this is a theoretical concern, given that most children in the age group will need their parents’ help to register for and receive a vaccination, a recent survey shows that the efficacy of the jab is no longer a sticking point. When gig technology company M4Jam ran a survey laste last year, asking adults if they were willing to be vaccinated, 32% of the 3 000 respondents said they would. Seventeen percent believed their community medical facilities could cope with the patient load, and 58% wanted to wait and see what happened to others who took the jab before…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za TAXI bosses have called for calm after two prominent taxi owners were shot and killed in Delft on Tuesday night, fearing that it could further fuel the taxi war raging in the Western Cape. Paul Ruiters and Mervin Williams were killed on the corner of Delft Main Road and Voorbrug Avenue. Williams was an owner and member of Delft-Bellville Taxi Association. Ruiters was recently elected as the chairperson of the association, which forms part of the northern region. Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said cases of murder were opened for investigation. Twigg said Delft police attended to a complaint of a shooting incident and upon arrival on the scene they found the victims with multiple gunshot wounds. “The victims were declared deceased on the scene by medical personnel.…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za CONCERNS about the proposed three-year term for members of the Cape Nature board being too short to allow for good governance of the entity dominated the deliberations on the Western Cape Biodiversity Bill in the legislature. Board members serve a five-year term with the option of a renewal for a further term but the draft legislation which proposes to strengthen accountability and checks and balances has cut this short by two years. Standing committee on agriculture, environmental affairs and development planning chairperson Andricus van der Westhuizen raised the issue with the department and said he doubted that three years would be enough time for members to really fulfil their governance roles. “My concern is that if members come and go at a such a fast rate,…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za MANDATE differences between the City’s metro police and the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (Leap) programme came under the microscope when the City’s Safety and Security Directorate presented its Metropolitan Police Department’s Annual Police Plan to the provincial legislature. Standing committee on community safety member Ferlon Christians (ACDP), himself a former law-enforcement officer, said: “Your unit is so small and you’re running a 24-hour service, so you must have a skeleton staff. Is there a need for metro police to exist? I see your mandate and I see your powers, but I can’t understand how 565 operational officers makes sense when you have LEAP with almost 4,000 officers in the City of Cape Town.” Fellow committee member Mesuli Kama (ANC) asked about the metro police’s access to…

Shakirah Thebus shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za South Africa’s very own, newly-crowned Mr Gay World has shared the immense work that has already started following his recent accolade. Boksburg resident Louw Breytenbach, 32, was crowned Mr Gay World SA on May 26. On October 30, Breytenbach was then crowned Mr Gay World during a virtual event due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He is the director of the National Arts Association of South Africa and owner of LALT House of Growth, an educational theatre centre for community development through art. Breytenbach is also an actor, television presenter and entrepreneur who is passionate about mental health issues affecting LGBTQIA+ people and uses his various platforms to advocate for the cause. “As the only delegate from the African continent, I now carry the entire continent as…

Kristin Engel kristin.engel@inl.co.za THE newly opened Green School South Africa in Paarl aims to turn out future leaders by teaching its learners about sustainability and environmental challenges. The head of the school, Andy Wood, said climate change, with its devastating consequences, was a delicate discussion but if approached sensitively and in an enabling spirit, these talks inevitably instilled a sense of responsibility and purpose. “We speak to children about environmental challenges in a way that inspires them to be change-makers. The aim is not to overwhelm or scare them, but to encourage control and an intention to take action,” Wood said. The school is aiming to share how other schools could approach and teach the subject of climate change, or rather Green Studies, especially with the growing number of younger…

Altered function of the red blood cells leads to vascular damage in type 2 diabetes. Results from a new study in cells from patients with type 2 diabetes and mice show that this effect is caused by low levels of an important molecule in the red blood cells. The study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has been published in the journal Diabetes. It is well known that patients with type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Over time, type 2 diabetes may damage blood vessels, which could lead to life-threatening complications such as heart attack and stroke. However, the disease mechanisms underlying cardiovascular injury in type 2 diabetes are largely unknown and there is currently a lack of treatments to prevent such injuries. In recent…

MIHLALI BALEKA @Mihlalibaleka BAFANA Bafana vice-captain Percy Tau has backed the team to claim the much-needed three points when they host neighbours Zimbabwe in the penultimate round of the World Cup qualifiers at FNB Stadium today (9pm kick-off). Ahead of the two final matches in the group stage of the qualifiers, Bafana have their fate in their own hands. They are top of Group G with 10 points, four away from ensuring that they finish top of the group and qualify for the next round. But that’s easier said than done. They’ll meet a familiar Zimbabwean side that has nothing to lose, while Ghana still have a shot at qualifying for the next round as they are second, one point behind Bafana, who’ll visit them on Sunday. However, a win…