Innehållsförteckning för 2022-04-05 från Cape Argus

THE EFF’s Student Command at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) has accused the institution of not being willing to help frustrated students over unpaid National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) allowances for study materials. The Student Command said only returning students had received advanced payments last month, while first-year students had been left to fend for themselves. Branch convener Avuzwa Jonas said they wanted NSFAS allowances be disbursed to all students with immediate effective. Failure of the university to do so would result in strong protest. “As the EFFSC we vehemently reject this position of the university with the contempt it deserves as it is disadvantageous to us and those who cannot afford anything and are dependent upon NSFAS. Book allowances are yet to be disbursed and yet…

Since last year’s local government elections all we see in the headlines are budget cuts, eThekwini metro looking to remove the deadwood, and do something about those potholes leading to other countries. Speaking about deadwood, try calling Parks and Gardens to assess and remove perilous-looking branches of old rotting trees growing on municipal property like pavements and roads but encroaching over private property fences, posing possible harm in some form to man, beast or vehicle. “So sorry. Line is busy. Please try again.” What they really mean is: “So sorry, but we are not really interested in this job. The manager is hardly around to see what we are up to, polishing our nails, and poor us running out of expensive nail polish. Pity us, we have only one job.…

AS South African banks wage war against the Sekunjalo Group, its executive chairperson Dr Iqbal Survé and related entities, the matter of banks’ discrimination has come to the fore. Dr Survé has stated continually that there were about 20 companies, including Steinhoff, Tongaat Hulett and EOH, that have been found to have engaged in accounting fraud, and some in money laundering, yet their bank accounts and those of their directors remain open. The banks say those other companies had made some reparations by disciplining or firing their corrupt executives. However, the banks have largely ignored the fact that Dr Survé and Sekunjalo adhered to the recommendations of the Mpati Report and appointed former Judge Willem Heath to further investigate the allegations in the Mpati Report. Heath’s findings were subsequently made…

Rwanda’s Court of Appeal yesterday upheld a 25-year prison term against ailing Hotel Rwanda hero Paul Rusesabagina on terrorism charges, rejecting a prosecution appeal to increase the penalty to life. The fiercely outspoken critic of President Paul Kagame, who has been in custody for almost 600 days, was convicted last year after a trial his family and supporters branded a sham that was plagued with irregularities. “Since he is a first-time offender, the court finds that his sentence should not be increased, because the 25 years he was given is in accordance with the weight of his crimes, and the court maintains his sentence,” said judge Francois Regis Rukundakuvuga. State prosecutors had appealed the original sentence, saying the punishment against the former Kigali hotel manager was too lenient and should…

With one rip of banter, the Stormers and Bulls have made sure that their United Rugby Championship bout is undisputedly the most anticipated game this weekend. To be fair, though, Saturday’s fixture between the old rivals would have bagged that tag even if the two teams had not had a proper go at each other on Sunday afternoon. That’s because Jake White and John Dobson’s units have been in superb form in the URC, with the Stormers (sixth) leading the Bulls (seventh) by one point on the standings. Ahead of their meeting at Loftus Versfeld in January, the Bulls shared a video about “recovering Stormers fans”, with Dobson afterwards saying the clip had a motivating effect on his charges as they prepared for the game. The video didn’t age well…

INCENSED Belhar residents say they are not prepared to let extortion gangs seep into their community on their watch as it will mean the sacrifice of many innocent lives. This after a disabled home owner was shot and killed in the driveway in Curie Street. The victim, 48-year-old Abraham Wingrove, allegedly died at the hands of assailants who wanted to extort his tenants who operated a spaza shop from his garage. A family friend said Wingrove’s children and extended family battled to make sense of his murder. “I’m still in disbelief. Who kills a disabled man so cruelly like that? They shot him three times in the face like he was nothing. An innocent disabled man who couldn’t even defend himself. The only thing he did was to stand up…

A RECENT study showed that high physical and psychological distress was found among patients living with advanced cancer, with associated risks of depression. The study was the first in South Africa to assess patient-reported symptoms. It was conducted by UCT’s Division of Interdisciplinary Palliative Care and Medicine and the Division of Radiation Oncology and their colleagues at King’s College London. In total, 343 patients were recruited for the testing, of whom 229 had stage 4 cancer. Dr Lindsay Farrant, the primary investigator of the research, said: “The research showed that 64.7% of the patients showed a prevalence of pain, with a 47.1% high pain burden. Further symptoms showed 45% of patients had a lack of energy and tiredness. The highest causing psychological symptoms showed were worry (51.7%) and distress (30%),…

THE ANC in the legislature has slammed Premier Alan Winde over attempts to appoint disgraced former transport and public works MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela as a special adviser – at the highest pay scale. But Winde’s office insisted that despite his application, no appointment had yet been made. Last week, the Department of Public Service and Administration, which by law has to approve such appointments, vetoed Madikizela’s bid. He would have been paid more than R2 million a year. Instead, Madikizela will have to settle for R1.7 million a year. Almost a year ago, Madikizela was forced to resign after it emerged that he had lied about his qualifications, specifically that he had a BCom degree. ANC leader in the legislature Cameron Dugmore said: “We believe, as the ANC in the…

The ANC has no other candidate other than President Ramaphosa with the acumen, the vision or the ability to run the country. Those calling for a vote of no confidence in Ramaphosa other than his political enemies are either brain dead or out of touch with reality. Right now, as we stand, the ANC has no other candidate within its ranks from either side of its divide other than Ramaphosa with the acumen, the vision or the ability to run the country. Those baying for his blood should either come up with a viable replacement or shut hell up. Calling for a vote of no confidence in the Cabinet is another matter entirely. The existing Cabinet members were put in place neither for their qualities nor their abilities to deliver…

THROUGHOUT history, corruption and conflict which create chaos have divided and plagued humanity. Few bother to study those who create and maintain this chaos. It is vital that we isolate those who benefit from chaos, so their self-enrichment can be exposed. For the sake of a peaceful future, the guilty must not be allowed to escape the stigma of the corruption and chaos they spread. Examples are politicians, such as former president George Bush Sr (US), who inherited wealth that continues to benefit their families. Historically, the Bush family were bankers who financed Hitler’s regime. Few talk about the link between the Bush wealth and the Nazis. Today, the Bush family are the elite of high society, yet their family wealth is built on evil. Also, Warren Delano Jr (July…

THE announcement made by Minister Enoch Godongwana that there will be a 12-month delay in the increase of the new sugar tax is welcome news for the sugar industry. Following the first year of its implementation, the sugar tax cost a total of R2.05 billion and cost South Africa over 16 000 jobs. The increase would have seen sugar go from 2.21 cents to 2.31 cents per gram. Thomas Funke, CEO of SA Canegrowers, said sugar growers would not have been able to withstand the extra burdens due to the increase in fuel and fertiliser prices in the last year. He said the delay would help the industry find solutions to work on its engagement strategy and cited the “sugar cane value chain masterplan” as a key contributor to protecting…

A full 99% of people on Earth breathed air containing too many pollutants, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday, blaming poor air quality for millions of deaths each year. Fresh data from the UN health agency showed that every corner of the globe was dealing with air pollution, although the problem was much worse in poorer countries. “Almost the entire global population 99% breathes air that exceeds WHO air quality limits, and threatens their health,” the agency said. In its previous report four years ago, the WHO found that over 90% of the global population was affected, but it had since tightened its limits, it said. “The evidence base for the harm caused by air pollution has been growing rapidly and points to significant harm caused by even low…

South Africa 367 and 204 Bangladesh 298 and 53 South Africa won by 220 runs, lead two-match series 1-0 You see, South Africa can win with spinners dominating the wickets column. SA can win without some star players who are earning millions in India. SA can also win at Kingsmead. All of those facts quite rightly pleased captain Dean Elgar. He can be a very hard man to please as his batters will find out in the next couple of days. However, yesterday wasn’t the time for a debrief – it was time to celebrate. This was a very good win against a gutsy, skilled and determined Bangladesh team. That the final outcome should appear so comprehensive is something of a false flag given how the match unfolded. Bangladesh had…

Liverpool’s quest for a quadruple and Manchester City’s bid to match Manchester United’s historic treble of 1999 are on a collision course over the next two weeks. Premier League leaders City will host a potential title decider against second-placed Liverpool on Sunday before the fierce rivals clash again in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley on April 16. However, the impact of the Champions League quarter-finals could have a big impact on who claims the domestic trophies. Liverpool, on paper, have the better draw in the last eight as they take on Benfica tonight, while City face a gruelling two legs against Spanish champions Atletico Madrid. Reds boss Jurgen Klopp declared the Premier League as “the most important” prize up for grabs for his team, who have already lifted the…

AFTER more than two years, South Africa has finally emerged from the government-mandated state of disaster which was implemented to halt the spread of Covid-19. Making the announcement last night, President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged that the declaration on March 15, 2020, was unprecedented in South Africa’s history but was necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic, preventing more people from getting severely ill and saving countless lives. “These measures were effective in slowing down the rate of infection, easing pressure on our hospitals, and providing the time we needed to develop the infrastructure, resources and capacity to manage a large number of people who became ill as a result of Covid-19,” Ramaphosa said. The state of disaster also saw the introduction of the R350 social relief grant which seeks to bring relief…

THE National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers has called on the government to absorb contract workers to combat skyrocketing unemployment numbers released by Stats SA. General secretary Solly Malema said the government should offer permanent employment to community health-care workers, Expanded Public Works Programme beneficiaries and early childhood development practitioners to address the 0.4% increase that took the unemployment rate to 35.3% in the last quarter of 2021. Malema said this was the highest figure recorded since the start of the survey of 2008, prompting the union to condemn the government’s anti-worker stance which sought to trim the public service workforce through austerity measures while the country was struggling to create jobs. “Despite the high unemployment figures and a staggering economy, the public sector continues shedding jobs unjustifiably…

Zimbabwe leaders why do you wait to provide us with temporary freebies during election times only? It’s pathetic and disheartening what is happening in my beloved country Zimbabwe, (we are) crying for the way it is being led by the Zanu-PF government. It is high time that the government understands that casting a vote is an individual’s choice and liberty, which is influenced by the candidate’s empathy, identity, ideology, performance, ethnicity, people-orientation, responsiblity and accountablity. These leaders only do the talk to falsely capture the people’s minds and fail to positively transform their miserable lives and families through empathy and good leadership skills. Zimbabwe’s citizens require leaders who do not encourage and promote a divide-and-rule attitude among the citizens, inciting physical violence, all types of human rights abuses and violations.…

IN The past few years, life routines have been dominated by Covid-19. Due to the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, it feels so much better to celebrate Ramadaan according to the practices of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) – praying and breaking fast as a community. In dealing with anxieties especially with crime, lawlessness, the brutality around the globe, the coronavirus, poverty, unemployment and other social ills, Ramadaan affords an ideal opportunity to increase our supplications to the Almighty to change for the better the current situations around the world. One of the mercies of the Almighty towards humanity is that He has created different periods, times and days to turn closer to Him to deal with life’s challenges. Ramadaan is one such season to strengthen faith and to seek the Almighty’s…

AN APP designed to help students track their goals and realisations in order to achieve their desired academic targets has now been made available in all of South Africa’s 11 official languages to make it more accessible to a broader pool of students. The app, called WOOP (wish, outcome, obstacle, plan), was originally created as a workbook and introduced into UCT’s residence system in 2018, said Residence Life Division’s senior co-ordinator for learning and innovation, Sean Abrahams. Abrahams did some research that showed students’ hopes and outcomes had no link – and that led him to reach out about the need for the WOOP app. “When we did the research, there was no evidence to suggest a relationship between one’s hope level and one’s academic performance. There was no link…

Global outrage spread yesterday at civilian killings in north Ukraine, including evidence of bound bodies shot at close range and a mass grave found in areas retaken from Russian troops, as fighting raged on in the country’s south and east. Taras Shapravskyi, deputy mayor of Bucha, a town around 40km north-west of Kyiv city, said 50 of some 300 bodies found after Kremlin forces withdrew late last week were the victims of extra-judicial killings carried out by Russian troops. Ukrainian authorities said they were investigating possible war crimes there, a description also used by French President Emmanuel Macron. The Kremlin categorically denied any accusations related to the murder of civilians in the town. Reuters could not independently verify the number of dead or who was responsible. But reporters in Bucha…

Some exciting battles are expected on the track, with South African 100m record holder Akani Simbine opening his season in the men’s 200m race in the third leg of the Athletics SA Grand Prix Series in Potchefstroom tomorrow. Simbine enters the blocks against the likes of former SA champion Luxolo September and experienced Olympian sprinter Sibusiso Matsenjwa of Eswatini. National women’s 100m record holder Carina Horn headlines her specialist event, while three-time world 800m champion Caster Semenya will be eager to build on her fine form with the women’s 2000m race. Fresh from winning the women’s 400m hurdles, Zeney van der Walt returns as favourite, while Sherley Nekhubvi leads entries in the women’s 200m. Tshepo Tshite spearheads the men’s 800m line-up, while Ryan Mphahlele will be hard to beat in…

Laura Wolvaardt, Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail were all included in the Most Valuable Team of the ICC Women’s World Cup yesterday. The Proteas trio were rewarded for their excellent performances in driving their team to the semi-finals at the recent eight-team jamboree in New Zealand. Australia were crowned champions on Sunday at Hagley Oval after defeating South Africa’s semi-final conquerors England. Wolvaardt, 22, finished as the fourth-highest run scorer in the competition with 433 runs, which included five half-centuries, at an average of 54.12. The stylish opener had led the scoring charts until the play-offs before Australia’s Alyssa Healy (509 runs) and Rachel Haynes (497) and England’s Nat Sciver (436) surpassed her. All three have also been included in the MVP XI, Wolvaardt opening with Australian Player of the…