Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-03-02 i Cape Argus

SOUTH African start-ups face a challenging environment, with risks skewed to the downside, Joseph Ndaba, the CEO of MDIHub (Mafikeng Digital Innovation Hub) said in an interview this week. Ndaba is also a member of the South African Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR Commission). “(Economic) growth has lost momentum, high inflation has broadened out across countries and products, and is proving persistent. The greylisting is also making things worse,” Ndaba said. This month, the Financial Action Task Force placed South Africa on a list of countries under increased monitoring, or the grey list, after it failed to address financial shortcomings in dealing with money laundering. Ndaba said the global and domestic economies are facing challenges. “The increase in interest rates, necessary to curb inflation, heightens the financial…

THE establishment by the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) of a ministerial committee to manage the 2024 annual Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages has brought the role of the SA Hajj and Umrah Council (Sahuc) into question again. At the committee’s inaugural meeting, Minister Naledi Pandor said its mandate and role was to provide strategic direction and to ensure that South African pilgrims enjoyed a well-organised pilgrimage by an appropriate system under the auspices of the relevant Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Saying the committee’s work would not affect the current Hajj season, Pandor tasked it with conducting consultations with relevant stakeholders in South Africa and in Saudi Arabia to prepare for the next Hajj season in 2024. She said this was to…

A showdown pitting artificial intelligence (AI) against humans took place on Tuesday as an excited crowd gathered in Cape Town to watch an iteration of the age-old battle of man versus the machine. The showdown was hosted by performance marketing agency, R17 Ventures, in collaboration with the Embassy of Switzerland, and saw the R17 in-house creative team go head-to-head with the ChatGPT chatbot, developed by OpenAI. The creative team battled R17’s latest technology investment, Pushdat, which used ChatGPT to create organic social media content. The creative team and Pushstat were tasked with creating digital campaigns in the form of reels or TikToks within half an hour for three brands: Secondhandbags; Kleiderberg, a marketplace for second-hand fashion; and Beneva Black, beauty and lifestyle products from Switzerland. Judging each reel based on…

Busting the HPV myths Have you heard about human papillomavirus (HPV)? Do you know that HPV can cause cancer and that it can be prevented? Read on to learn more about HPV. Scientists have discovered more than 200 HPV types that can infect the skin and mucosal tissue, which is the internal lining of the body cavities such as in the mouth or genital tract (vagina, cervix and penis). HPV infections are common worldwide in all age groups affecting both males and females. Most HPV infections are mild or do not cause any symptoms, and the majority resolve completely. HPV is transmitted by direct contact (skin or mucosal) to infected individuals. There are some HPV types that have a preference to infect the skin, while other types prefer the skin…

PLANS for a takeover of Manchester United could be delayed until May, with current US-based owners the Glazer family said to be holding out for a better offer, according to British media reports. The Daily Mail reported this week that the Glazers wanted a bid of at least £6-billion after initial offers from Qatari Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe were lodged at a maximum of £4.5bn. The Mail said that this might mean a sale of the club, which won its first trophy in six years by collecting the League Cup on Sunday, would not take place until May at the earliest. In another report, The Guardian said there was indecision among the six Glazer siblings because each had their own view of any…

Department store chain Woolworths Holdings (Woolies) reported a 75.1% jump in half-yearly earnings on Wednesday, but warned of a slower growth in the second half as a power crisis at home hits profitability. Brick-and-mortar sales increased substantially in the first half ended December 25, the company said, as shoppers, particularly in Australia, returned to the aisles after prolonged pandemic lockdowns. Woolies, which also operates in Australia under the Country Road and David Jones chains, said headline earnings per share (Heps) rose to 294.5 cents in the reporting period, up from 168.2c in the prior year. Heps is the main profit measure in South Africa. Group turnover and concession sales increased by 18.5% to R49.9 billion, while profit before tax jumped by 63.3% to R3.7bn. In South Africa, which houses Woolworths’…

Controversial YouTuber Slik Talk has taken on late rapper AKA and Nadia Nakai in his latest vlog. Known for his rants, his latest video labels the hip-hop star’s posthumously released album “an absolute piece of s***” and also claims that Nakai is “a glorified rebound”. The post shared by @ThisIsColbert was captioned: “#MassCountry is awful, AKA left us an absolute piece of s*** – Slik Talk gives #KiernanForbes posthumous album a solid 2 out of 10. Nadia Nakai is not a widow but a glorified rebound." Slik Talk goes on to say he hates everything about the new album and claims it is the worst he ever heard. “It’s absolutely one of the worse albums I’ve ever heard in my life, sonically it doesn’t even sound good. The…

The disappearance of German tourist Nick Frischke, 22, has united the Hangberg community in Hout Bay in a quest for justice. They are calling for more pressure to be put on the suspects to reveal what they did after attacking Frischke, and to put an end to the prolonged searches. This is as five suspects appeared at the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances. They were found in possession of items belonging to Frischke, and confessed to having robbed and stabbed him. The Cape Argus joined the more than 50 community member search party as they scoured the Hangberg hiking trail where Frischke was reportedly last seen on February 15. The community carried out searches through the mountain and along the coast. This was one…

SEVERAL people were injured, including children, after a Go George bus they had been travelling in was petrol bombed on Protea Road, George, early yesterday morning. ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring said the group of people injured by the blast included four children. ER24 paramedics arrived on the scene shortly after 6am and found the bus parked on the side of the road outside the school, with numerous passengers sitting on the pavement. Meiring said eight people sustained minor to moderate burns wounds. The patients were treated at the scene and later transported to nearby hospitals. George Municipality confirmed that a petrol bomb was thrown into a bus in Protea Road, Pacaltsdorp. “According to early reports, 14 passengers have been taken to hospital by ambulance – five of them have been…

Relatable comedic relief is on its way to Mitchells Plain as one of the country’s stand-up heavyweights, Kurt Schoonraad, is returning to his former neighbourhood for two shows next week. Schoonraad will be performing at Westridge High School on March 10–11, with four readers standing a chance of winning double tickets. The 49-year-old has been performing stand-up for about 25 years and shared his excitement about finally being able to bring his show “home”. Schoonraad was brought up in Mitchells Plain, where he attended Rocklands High School. “What’s great about this particular show is I grew up in the area, so I’m going to do gags that most probably won’t be understood anywhere else in the world because I’ll speak about my neighbours, the school, the field I ran over…

THERE is a heart-rending moment in the documentary Rise: The Siya Kolisi Story – which premiered on DStv last Sunday – when the Springbok captain takes viewers to his family dwelling in Zwide township and how the toilet system works. Even calling it a toilet is not exactly accurate, as it was essentially a deep hole in the ground in a yard that was covered by a wooden structure around it. Kolisi demonstrates how newspaper was rubbed vigorously until it was “softer” and could be used as toilet paper, and he goes on to explain the terrible stench that would envelop the area. It paints a despairing picture of how difficult life was for the little Zwide boy who went on to reach the very top of Springbok rugby in…

AS OBESITY costs South Africa billions, Discovery Vitality yesterday announced the results of a national study comparing members’ collective weight across South African cities. The study showed Capetonians had the healthiest weight, while Gqeberha had the most room to improve. The ObeCity index healthy weight ranking lists the healthiest to least healthy cities: From Cape Town (healthiest weight); Johannesburg; Durban; Pretoria; Bloemfontein and Gqeberha (least healthy). It also launched a HealthyWeight programme that comes with a price tag. These initiatives were launched prior to World Obesity Day this Saturday. Being overweight and showing obesity are defined as excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. A study by Micheal Boachie, a senior researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand, published in The Conversation last year, said: “Based on our calculations, being…

The Shoprite supermarket at the corner of Birdwood and Cornhill road in Athlone was robbed yesterday morning. When the Cape Argus visited the supermarket, police tape had been used to cordon off the entrance of the supermarket while workers were sitting outside and the informal traders were setting up their stalls. Police spokesperson Nowonga Sukwana said three unknown men entered Shoprite with firearms and took cellphones and cigarettes. Sukwana said no shots were fired and no one was injured during the incident. She said no arrests have been made yet as the investigation continues. One of the informal traders, who asked not to be named, said they had all arrived after the incident. She said that the robbery had left everyone shocked and worried about their safety. The Shoprite Group…

A CABINET reshuffle looks imminent after President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed his deputy David Mabuza has resigned as member of parliament. Ramaphosa said he would make an announcement on Mabuza’s successor soon. He did not indicate when the Cabinet reshuffle will happen, but speculation about it has been mounting for weeks. Mabuza’s departure from government comes after he had told mourners last month, at his brother’s funeral, that he had resigned as deputy president. However, Ramaphosa urged him to stay on until he had finalised the transition processes. Ramaphosa said, after announcing the resignation of Mabuza, that he would announce the new deputy president of the country in due course. ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile was sworn in last month amid speculation that he would take over from Mabuza. Ramaphosa commended…

Former public protector Thuli Madonsela yesterday failed to give her oral testimony to the inquiry into her successor Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office. However, if Mkhwebane’s senior counsel, Dali Mpofu, has his way, she will be back before the committee “sooner or later”. Madonsela, who had been summoned by the committee for two days of testimony beginning yesterday, spent the morning on the committee’s virtual platform waiting to be led in evidence by the committee’s senior counsel, Nazreen Bawa. She had been expected to testify on the PPSA’s Vrede Dairy investigation as well as the CIEX/South African Reserve Bank investigation. However, arguments over an amended statement that she sent yesterday, and whether it superseded her original statement, or was even admissible prevented this. In the end, Madonsela only made…

First Test, Day 2 South Africa 342 (Markram 115; Joseph 5/81) West Indies 212 (Reiffer 62, Blackwood 37; Nortje 5/36) South Africa 49/4 (Markram 35*; Joseph 2/17) South Africa lead by 179 runs DON’T say this new Proteas team didn’t warn you because this type of Test cricket requires an age restriction. It’s unadulterated action that is definitely not for the faint of heart. It’s certainly not for the purist because it will be ugly sometimes, but it is bloody entertaining. Eleven wickets fell in the final session of the second day of this riveting first Test between South Africa and the West Indies. There was no precursor to what was to come after the tourists had meandered to 136/3 at the tea interval. South Africa had earlier been dismissed…

Morné Steyn has won so many games for the Bulls and the Springboks, and now he has been rewarded with something few South African rugby players receive: A benefit year. The Blue Bulls Rugby Union said this week that the 38-year-old flyhalf will be recognised for “long-standing commitment and service” over the last 14 years at Loftus Versfeld until his retirement from the game in June. Apart from the seven years at Stade Francais in Paris, Steyn – who was born in Cape Town and attended Sand du Plessis High School in Bloemfontein – has played all of his provincial or franchise rugby for the Bulls, where he has accumulated an incredible 268 caps (116 Currie Cup, 129 Super Rugby, 21 United Rugby Championship and two Champions Cup) since his…