Indholdsfortegnelse for 2022-03-16 i Cape Argus

Zama Ngcoya zama.ngcoya@inl.co.za An extensive search is under way for two men after the gruesome stabbing of a woman in Ottawa, KwaZulu-Natal, yesterday. Reaction Unit SA (Rusa) officers were dispatched to the scene of a stabbing after receiving multiple calls from distressed residents reporting a hijacking/robbery in progress at about 2pm. Rusa spokesperson Prem Balram said one caller reported that a woman was bleeding excessively from multiple stab wounds. Paramedics were sent to the scene and found a foreign national, estimated to be 33, with eight stab wounds. They stabilised the woman and rushed her to hospital. A man, 21, told the first responders that he and his sister-in-law were from Mumbai, India, and have been operating a chicken tikka and salon business in Verulam since their arrival in the…

Siyabonga Mkhwanazi siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za THE government is sticking to its guns on the Ukraine conflict saying diplomatic efforts must be found to stop it. International Relations and Co-operation Deputy Minister Candith Mashego-Dlamini insists that diplomatic solutions be found and the office of the UN secretary-general must be involved in these efforts. She told MPs during the debate in Parliament that both Urkraine and Russia had strong ties with South Africa. But opposition parties warned that if the conflict dragged on it would lead to the escalation in oil prices. The National Treasury has already forecast increases in the coming weeks and months if the conflict rages on. Mashego-Dlamini said the only solution to the conflict was for both sides to talk and for other diplomatic efforts be made to reach agreement.…

Peter Bachtis | Benoni The owners and top executives at Kulula and British Airways should be relieved of their posts immediately. Their aircraft were grounded by the aviation authority for non-compliance. Basic rules, regulations and safety and maintenance procedure have been ignored, placing in jeopardy the lives of staff and passengers, making use of these aircraft. This is a failed organisation, run by men and women who know not what they do. The old Yiddish saying is so apt … “The fish rots from the head” … and there are no excuses … no mitigating factors, as this executive team had been alerted time and again of the catastrophic failures within their organisation. How can any would-be traveller make use of their services? Hitching a ride is a…

MY COLUMN this week is part mythology, part personal history. There is a definite agenda that drives this direction. High school, secondary school, pre-university – call it what you will, the event is one of the major rites of passage for the teenager. Hence the legitimate cry for high school buildings to match the number of primary school-leavers. I gravitated to the position of principal in 1987, to Manenberg No 2 High School, after the first principal suffered a stroke (this being the worst times of the Struggle, which consisted of day-to-day running fights between high school students and the South African Army, typified by the menacing Casspirs). For starters, we were not happy to be named Manenberg Number Two. Nor were we unaware that the other two schools “favoured…

Zibah Nwako and Afua Twum-Danso Imoh Around the world, the activism of black women has been instrumental in shaping social justice agendas and promoting human rights. Their work has improved the health and welfare of women and girls, protected the environment and elevated the voices of the oppressed, both in their communities and further afield. As researchers who focus on women and children’s well-being and rights, we have come across the work of many such black women. The four introduced here are inspirational – for the changes they brought about, for their work ethic, and for their passion to improve the everyday lives of marginalised or oppressed groups. Efua Dorkenoo: Ghanaian-British women’s rights activist Dorkenoo (1949-2014) was a pioneering leader in the global movement to end female genital cutting. As…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za LUNGI Ngidi said he hopes the presence of even a small number of spectators will provide energy for the Proteas as they pursue World Cup qualification in the three match one-day international series with Bangladesh that starts on Friday. Sadly for Ngidi and the Proteas, neither Centurion, which hosts the first and third matches, nor the Wanderers, which hosts the “Pink ODI” on Sunday, will be full of spectators or even half-full. The South African government’s extension of the state of disaster protocols yesterday put paid to any hopes of decent spectator turnouts for the series. Only 2 000 people will be allowed into the grounds – with the rules stating that the players, media (including TV crews) and security all count towards that figure. In addition,…

Rafieka Williams rafieka.williams@inl.co.za THE man accused of murdering his daughter by setting her alight appeared in the Western Cape High Court yesterday, where the mother testified as a State witness. Vusumzi Potelwa has been charged with four counts of assault, arson, attempted murder and murder. Potelwa is accused of pouring paraffin over his 7-month-old baby Khwezi Mtshengu and setting her alight. The State said that on November 17, 2019, Potelwa was drinking alcohol and playing music while the baby’s mother Sivuyisiwe Mtshengu was trying to sleep at their residence in Dunoon. State prosecutor advocate Leon Snyman called Mtshengu to the stand. She testified that she was beaten by Potelwa. “When he was hitting me, I had the baby in my arms,” she said. Potelwa was playing music from a big…

Thabo Makwakwa thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za SEKUNJALO Group executive chairman Dr Iqbal Survé has welcomed the Equality Court’s decision instructing Nedbank not to close the group’s accounts pending the outcome of its interdict application against Nedbank, set to be heard on April 8. Reacting to the Monday ruling by Judge Mondi Samela, Dr Survé said the outcome was “a small victory in a long journey against these vindictive banks.” The ruling comes directly after Nedbank and eight other banks were taken to the Competition Tribunal by Sekunjalo and its associated companies (Sekunjalo Group). Sekunjalo has accused South Africa’s banking cartel of refusing to provide banking and payment services in what constitutes an abuse of dominance or collusive conduct in contravention of the Competition Act. Nedbank had previously given some of the companies in…

Mayibongwe Maqhina mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za THE national director of public prosecutions Shamila Batohi said yesterday there was no political will in the law enforcement agencies to deal with high-level corruption cases prior to 2019. “These cases were not given the attention. Since 2019 there has been focus on these cases,” Batohi said. She made the statement when the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) gave a follow-up briefing to the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) on cases referred to it by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). Her statement was sparked by comments made by SIU head Andy Mothibi when he expressed his sense of gratitude at the attention that the matters referred to by the NPA were receiving. Mothibi said they realised in 2017 that for the SIU to make an impact their…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za Parents from disadvantaged communities and those technologically challenged have complained about the accessibility of the Western Cape Education Department’s (WCED) online admissions process. Parents have said they cannot apply online as they don’t have resources, or even cellphones. This after the WCED appealed to parents and caregivers, particular ly those who have learners entering Grade 1 and 8 next year, to start preparing the necessary documentation so they are ready to apply. The application process opened on Monday and closes on April 15. WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the online system had been operational since 2019, and was not a new system. She said the number of parents opting to apply online had grown. She said while she would prefer parents to make use of the online…

NO MATTER how much a person studies a phenomenon, it still takes some form of personal experience to fully know and define it. No one can be full by only looking at pictures of food without eating. This is true even for belief in God, a person can be an expert on all the goodness that is mentioned in the Bible but be a tool of evil. But this seems to be the way to go, whenever those who observe African history and experiences of black people put forward their expert opinions about black people. Even the views of black people regarding Russia, the EU, US, Ukraine and the so-called Russia-Ukraine conflict matter, but are considered “unsuitable and not good enough” until they are exactly as what the experts…

Cllr Yagyah Adams | Cape Muslim Congress Sanctions is another method used by a few wealthy to enrich themselves and to punish the poor. The wealthy use sanctions to “corner the market”. Currently Russia, Cuba, Iran, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Syria etc are under Western sanctions. Iran is under sanctions since 1979 though businesses who are politically “connected” can trade with Iran as long as the politicians get a cut. Example, Marc Rich (1934 – 2013) was a global financier and “criminal”. He founded the commodities company Glencore and was indicted in the US on charges of tax evasion, racketeering and making oil deals with Iran during the Iran hostage crises. He lived in luxury in Switzerland and received a presidential pardon from president Bill Clinton on January 20, 2001, Clinton’s last…

Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe has used the National Energy Dialogue to champion fossil fuels and advocate for the exploitation of oil and gas. At the event co-hosted by the Central Energy Fund, Mkokeli Advisory and the Financial Mail, Mantashe claimed that in promoting oil and gas he was “standing up for development” in South Africa. Given the recent revelation that the ANC received R15 million from the Batho Batho Trust, which has a 28% interest in Shell’s downstream business in South Africa, the minister also appears to have been standing up for the development of the ANC’s election fund. Mantashe expressed his frustration at recent court actions that have halted oil and gas exploration in South Africa’s oceans. He said there needs to be “discussion” about…

GRAEME Smith’s fate as Cricket South Africa’s director of cricket is due to be formalised next week when his arbitration hearing is finalised. Regardless of the outcome, Smith’s contract with CSA draws to a close within a fortnight. It is understood that Smith is expected to cut his losses, with CSA expected to advertise the post shortly. After the tumultuous period Smith has endured in the hot seat – having to navigate allegations of racism, nepotism and, of course, the Covid-19 pandemic with all its challenges of cancelled tours and bio-secure environments before even getting to the actual cricket side of things – who would actually want this poisoned chalice of a job? It’s an open secret that former Proteas assistant coach and ex-Highveld Lions head coach Enoch Nkwe is…

Mthuthuzeli Ntseku mthuthuzeli.ntseku@inl.co.za Piketberg police constable Richard Smit, accused of killing his girlfriend Natasha Booise, is now unemployed. This emerged during the court proceedings yesterday where Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) senior investigator Ronald Davids confirmed to the court that Smit was expected to attend a disciplinary hearing of the SAPS on March 3 but instead resigned the day before. Davids, who took the stand yesterday, during his cross-examination by state advocate Portia Chauke also confirmed that he visited an alternative address in Strandfontein which the defence provided. The address was identified for Smit to be released to should he be granted bail. However, Davids raised concerns about the address, stating that the community of Strandfontein did not want the accused to reside there and had petitioned against Smit’s release.…

Hearings scheduled to gain proper insight Shakirah Thebus shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za After numerous complaints about racist practices in the property sector, including race-specific requests from landlords, the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA) is to hold public hearings into how widespread the problem is. The Western Cape also seems to be a hotbed of racist practices within the property sector, with 15 complaints so far after news of the hearings spread. Hearings are scheduled to take place in Johannesburg (March 22), Cape Town (March 23), and Durban (March 24), with further dates to be announced. PPRA CEO Mamodupi Mohlala said all industry players from the real estate sector, auctioneers, industry bodies, the general public and anyone who has suffered from racism in the industry, should be attending or submitting complaints. “The hearings are…

Baldwin Ndaba baldwin.ndaba@inl.co.za The City of Joburg is adamant it will end the contracts of 120 former ANC political staff members by the end of April despite a legal threat by the lawyers representing the affected employees. Early this month, the City announced that it would rescind the full-time employment of about 130 employees. According to the City, the previous administration, under executive mayor Geoff Makhubo, had illegally converted the fixed-term contract of political staff members, making them permanent without following due processes. Reacting to the legal threat, mayoral spokesperson Mabine Seabe said the Joburg multi-party government had been clear in stating that the decision taken by the Mayoral Committee, Council and the City administration was and is a matter of compliance with the law, not a labour issue. “In…

Matthew Petersen matthew.petersen@inl.co.za FAIZEL Newman has made a big effort to help the Bonteheuwel youth strive for change. He completed the Cape Town Cycle Tour at the weekend to raise funds for the Amy Foundation and two of its after-school programmes, at Mimosa Primary School and Bonteheuwel High School. “I cycled my first Cape Town Cycle Tour because I believe that through the Amy Foundation sports programme, where I am a soccer coach, I can become a catalyst for change,” he said. The 25 year old was in the sports programme himself and is best placed to help the youth in the community. “The programmes provide positive role models for the youth. I am one of those community role models,” Newman said. Programme co-ordinator Liezel Solomons worked with Faizel when…

SUPERMARKET chain Checkers says its Sitari branch and the entire Sitari Village Mall, near Somerset West, have become South Africa’s first premium supermarket and shopping centre to run entirely off renewable energy from wind and solar sources. Checkers said it was part of its commitment to environmental sustainability. Enabling Checkers Sitari to run off renewable energy is the result of a 635kWp rooftop solar PV installation and an agreement with Eskom’s Renewable Energy Tariff (RET) programme which allows customers to source up to 100% of their electricity from renewable resources. The mall, with Checkers as the anchor tenant, will generate 35% of its electricity from its rooftop solar PV system. The remaining 65% – 1 752MWh of renewable energy – will be sourced from Eskom’s wind plant via the RET…

Dr Thabisi Hoeane | Pretoria Being transparent and consultative in making critical appointments is theoretically a welcome idea. This has been the hallmark of the Ramaphosa administration and there is no doubt that he does so for positive reasons. But such processes can backfire, just like in the appointment of Justice Raymond Zondo as the new chief justice – who incidentally, I believe deserves the position. The unintended consequences of these moves can be detrimental in two ways. First, just consider the acerbic and inane interviews which the four candidates for this position underwent at the JSC. These insults ranged from sexist invective hurled at Judge Maya, to the crass political posturing by the EFF representatives who were clearly primarily there to push their party agenda. Second,…

ON WEDNESDAY, January 26, I reported on the employment of foreign nationals and the fear that the ministerial moves to create quotas for the employment of foreign nationals would create violence. Well, over the past week, we have seen flare-ups of xenophobic violence in Johannesburg, and I venture to add that the xenophobia will spread across the country. An organisation, known as “Operation Dudula”, has formed a vigilante group that has taken it upon itself to monitor and get rid of foreign workers. A few months back, a political party chose to undertake a similar exercise by threatening employers with action if they had too many foreign workers in their workplace. The worsening unemployment figures have created an environment conducive to scapegoating and violence. Every family has been affected…

JOHN Whitlock | Germiston A teen dies after a stabbing outside a Durban school. A 15-year-old is stabbed to death by a 16-year-old after an altercation. A female pupil in Pretoria is stabbed four times for her cellphone. In Pinetown a boy, 15, is fatally stabbed by another pupil. The list goes on. These incidents seem to involve only black pupils. Strangely, these incidents don’t evoke furious demonstrations by black parents, and no frenzied media coverage that school racism generates. Also, no shocked MECs rushing to brief all and sending counsellors. It gives the impression that racism is far more horrendous and important than death. No wonder there are 2 453 youths in jail for murder. They have no role models to look up to. Moral values,…

THREE European prime ministers rode a train for Kyiv yesterday, the first visit by foreign leaders to the Ukrainian capital since Russia launched its invasion, and a striking symbol of Ukraine’s success so far in fending off Russia’s assault. “It is our duty to be where history is forged. Because it’s not about us, but about the future of our children who deserve to live in a world free from tyranny,” said Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who set off across the border with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Janez Jansa of Slovenia. Fiala said the aim was “to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire EU for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.” They arrived in a city still under bombardment, where around half of the 3.4 million…