Innehållsförteckning för 2022-10-31 från Cape Argus

The Western Cape ANC Youth League (ANCYL) has suspended its interim provincial co-ordinator Asanda Luwaca after a drumbeat of complaints against her, including bypassing other leaders and giving carte blanche to her private secretary to officiate at branch meetings. But Luwaca contends that she has not been suspended. The provincial youth league’s congress preparatory committee met on Thursday and agreed to suspend Luwaca, who was appointed in November last year by President Cyril Ramaphosa as the first woman chairperson of the National Youth Development Agency. Luwaca’s “suspension” comes a few weeks ahead of the national youth league conference, before which all regional and provincial conferences must have concluded with thresholds met. On Saturday, Luwaca said: “I have not received any formal communique from the structure around my alleged suspension.” Speaking…

The Sunridge Action Group and Greater Table View Action Forum in Table View are demanding answers from mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Premier Alan Winde on how the Flandorp Family Trust acquired a piece of land in the area which has been approved for densification. The land in question currently has a development application where the First Plan Town Planners on behalf of Flandorp Family Property proposed a gated development consisting of nine duplex houses, 337 apartment units, and a clubhouse next to the school land. The groups allege that there was collusion between the provincial government and the City in disposing of the piece of land to the Flandorp Family Trust. The Flandorp’s property, according to GTAF biodiversity head David Ayres, measures some 2.938 hectares, a consolidated erf made up…

The wind energy industry has called for transparent and documented processes to unblock the deliverance of new generation energy after Eskom’s announcement that 53GW of additional generation capacity, particularly from renewable energy sources, was required up to 2032 to ensure energy security. Eskom announced this during its 2022 Transmission Development Plan (TDP) Public Forum, where it shared its Transmission grid development plans for 2023 to 2032, as well as an update on separating the transmission business as a wholly owned subsidiary of Eskom Holdings. Eskom transmission managing director Segomoco Scheppers said: “The next five years are very critical for security of supply. If the TDP 2022 requirements to deliver an adequate transmission network capacity by 2027 are to be met, a significant investment of R72.2 billion will be required to…

The name Saifullah Paracha might not mean anything to you. If it doesn’t, the sad thing is that it should. In the globalised politics of our time, his name and the injustice he suffered should have been a major story. The fact that the world’s “leader in democracy” has shamelessly managed to hold an individual in detention without bringing any charges against him for 18 years, says much about its justice system. He was released from the US Detention Facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba on October 29, 2022. He was detained in 2003 on suspicions of links to al-Qaeda. The businessman, who lived in New York and Karachi, was at the time of his release, the oldest and longest-serving individual held in detention by the US Federal Government. In…

A picture speaks a thousand words.The heartbreaking pictures of children being killed in war zones are graphic examples of naked hatred gone berserk. Intolerance remains unchanged, from the times of Christ (PBUH) to the current year, our intolerance has never diminished. Intolerance means not enduring what you dislike, and seeking to harm it, whether you are persecuting someone, prohibiting a practice, or punishing a set of beliefs. Our long embrace of intolerance, and of violence, is present not only in our recent history, but stretches back to our prehistoric past. We forget at our peril the demagogues of yesteryear and their insane followers who claim privileged insight into the masses but ended up crushing the individual. In this cauldron of discontent, humans fail the tolerance test, whether it’s racial, religious,…

Designated protected areas for wildlife – such as national parks – are the world’s principal conservation strategy. But this model to conserve wildlife in Africa is increasingly coming under pressure. Changing climates, volatile economies and political systems, conflicting sentiments around wildlife management practices (like trophy hunting) and unpredictable events, such as pandemics, are just some of the threats that undermine conservation efforts. Many protected areas didn’t fare well during the pandemic, particularly across Africa. Ailing economies and restricted travel reduced the funding and tourism revenues on which many parks depend. As a result, half of surveyed parks across 19 African countries reported reductions in the protection of endangered species, field patrols and anti-poaching measures. These impacts bring into question the resilience of protected areas where conservation is funded by donations,…

SEOUL: It looked like the apocalypse had hit, one witness said – an evening of panic and disarray that would have sounded like a scene from a horror movie on any other Halloween. The bodies of several lifeless people were sprawled on the ground in the Itaewon neighbourhood on Saturday night, their shirts pulled over their faces after rescuers checked for acute injuries, videos reviewed exclusively by The Washington Post showed. Bodies lay across the ground near the Atelier club, steps from the narrow alley where a crowd crush led to more than 150 deaths. People frantically performed CPR in the area, with police running in and out of the scene. One man had a red soccer jersey pulled over his face as he was treated with a defibrillator. A…

Khartoum: Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of the Sudanese capital yesterday, demanding a return to civilian rule, AFP correspondents said. Raising Sudanese flags and posters of activists killed during pro-democracy protests, thousands of youths marched on the presidential palace in central Khartoum. Demonstrators chanted against military rule and erected barricades in North Khartoum and Omdurman, an AFP correspondent said. In the eastern city of Kassala, some “800 young men and women” came out to demand civilian rule, eyewitness Hussein Mohamed Shahed told AFP. | AFP…

The rugby world has begun the annual end-of-year international season, which sees the heavyweights of the northern hemisphere host the superpowers of the south over four successive weekends. And with the World Cup creeping up, this period is hugely important as the teams jostle for psychological advantage while testing combinations. It is, indeed, going to be a delicate balancing act because while you want to build winning momentum and confidence, this period is also the perfect opportunity to test players in the heat of international rugby. The Springboks, for instance, play world No 1 Ireland this weekend, then go to Marseille to play the favourites for the World Cup, hosts France. They have a semblance of a breather against Italy, although let’s not forget the Azzurri recently beat the same…

Opposition parties in the City council are in agreement that the City’s R700 000 funding for the DStv kykNET & Kie Mitchells Plain Festival for the next three years is inadequate and that mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis must allocate more money. The council recently approved a three-year agreement for hosting the festival, effective this financial year. The festival is expected to take place from December 2 to 4, at Westridge Gardens in Mitchells Plain. The City will support the festival in the form of municipal and event services with R700 000 in the current financial year. An amount of R735 000 will be disbursed for the 2023/24 financial year, while in the 2024/25 financial year, the City will support the event with an amount of R771 750. The council also approved…

Worcester police are investigating a case of culpable homicide following a fatal crash between a truck and a car that killed six people. Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg confirmed the Worcester police were investigating a fatal accident that occurred on the R60 road between Worcester and Robertson on Saturday at 4.50am. The crash left six occupants dead, including two children. Twigg said the identities of the deceased persons were yet to be established and the circumstances surrounding the incident remained under investigation. The accident happened as Mobility MEC Daylin Mitchell concluded the Transport Month awareness campaign. “While I criss-crossed the province during the month of October to increase awareness and promote the safety of drivers, passengers, pedestrians, cyclists and other road users, I am acutely aware of the fact that our…

The City of Cape Town’s social package for the 2022/23 financial year amounts to R4.7 billion, and includes R2.3bn for indigent relief and R1.45bn for rates relief. To make it easier for residents to access these benefits, the City has over the past months rolled out its indigent benefits and rates relief campaign to communities across the metro. We are prioritising areas where indigent support is needed most. The next event will be held at the Lansdowne Civic Centre on November 3, 2022. Officials will be present at the event to assist residents with the forms, registration process, required documentation and capturing of information. Those who have qualified for indigent benefits in the past must remember that they need to apply yearly for the benefit. Pensioners need only apply to…

To THE Class of 2022: We are so proud of you for overcoming the challenges of the past few years. The pandemic caused so much disruption and anxiety, which has made an already stressful exam even more challenging. We urge any learner struggling to cope with the pressure to approach your teacher for help, or to contact the Safe Schools hotline at 0800 45 46 47 (toll free). We know how hard you have worked to get to this point, with the help of your teachers. You are nearly over the finish line, so don’t give up. Our ePortal contains nearly 9 000 matric-specific support resources that you can access whenever you like to do extra revision before your exams. This includes revision guides, telematics videos, marking guides, study tips…

The death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in Iran last month has become a catalyst for protests across that country. Women, in response to the injustice of her death, have burnt their hijabs in rebellion against the strict clothing laws. In their attempt to re-establish social order local security forces have clashed with these civilians. Aside from the police brutality, the Iranian government has imposed an internet blackout to help disrupt the communication channels of those who seek to act in rebellion. An internet blackout, in the case of Iran, was used as a tool to disrupt communication between rebellious protesters. The case of Iran is not an isolated one. Internet blackouts have emerged as a state’s apparatus for social order. In the case of Zimbabwe, the internet blackout…

Emergency workers scrambled to rescue residents trapped by floods in and around the Philippine capital yesterday as Tropical Storm Nalgae swept out of the country after killing at least 48 people. Several neighbourhoods in towns and cities just outside Manila remained under water after the storm raked across the main island of Luzon overnight, cutting power supplies and inflicting damage. The death toll from the storm rose to 48, the national disaster agency said yesterday, most of them from a series of flash floods and landslides that destroyed villages on the southern island of Mindanao on Friday. The report noted that 555 buildings were partially damaged, and 159 were completely destroyed. Damage was also caused to some infrastructure facilities, in particular, six airports and 78 seaports. In the Manila suburb…

MOSCOW: The US decision to listen to Russia’s security concerns could be a platform for the conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said yesterday. “The desire of the US to listen to our concerns; to return to the December-January conditions … what the Russians are offering may not satisfy us, but maybe it is worth sitting down at the negotiating table,” Peskov told Russian broadcaster Rossiya 1. On December 17, Russia unveiled proposals to the US and Nato on security guarantees, which stipulate the alliance not expand into Ukrainian territory. | Sputnik…

South Africa Under-19 player Meekaeel Prince, with an unbeaten century 101, powered SACS to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Bishops at home. The feisty opening batsman, who has been in prolific form with the bat, scored 101 off only 93 balls in an innings which included 13 fours and three sixes. He started off cautiously, but once he had his eye in he began to dominate the Bishops attack with his wide array of strokes. He made effective use of the slog-sweep with all his sixes being scored square of the wicket on the leg-side. He paced his innings nicely, reaching his century just before the target was reached. Bishops won the toss and elected to bat and again it was left to opener Kashief Joseph (58), scoring his second…

The nominees for the African Social Media Star for this year’s People’s Choice Awards have been revealed. The eight names were announced recently, with several of Mzansi’s favourite personalities receiving nods for the upcoming awards. The awards recognise some of the most iconic and influential people on the continent of Africa. Actress Ama Qamata, reality TV star and businesswoman Dr Shauwn Mkhize, media personality and reality star Khanyi Mbau and digital content creator Sphokuhle Ntshalintshali, have made the list. The ceremony is set to take place on Tuesday, December 6, and will be broadcast live from Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. Actor and comedian Kenan Thompson will host the awards for another year. Reacting to the nomination, Blood & Water actress Qamata said: “I am so honoured and humbled…

The troubled National Skills Fund (NSF) is failing to meet most of its basic mandates, according to its annual report. Out of 29 targets, the NSF, an entity of the Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, achieved only seven. On skills development funding, the NSF achieved none of its 15 output indicators. On administration, it achieved only one target out of six possible achievements; and on post-school education and training system improvement funding’s eight targets, only three were achieved. The annual report was discussed in the higher education, science and innovation portfolio committee on Friday against the backdrop of Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) head advocate Godfrey Lebeya’s saying they were probing how R2.5 billion went missing from the NSF. MPs recently rapped Higher Education, Science and…

Department of Basic Education (DBE) Minister Angie Motshekga has slammed some schools for disallowing pregnant matrics from writing the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams. Motshekga held a media briefing yesterday on the state of readiness for the NSC 2022 examinations to commence today until December 7. Last week, practical papers for computer applications technology and information technology were written. The department has been conducting visits across the country to monitor schools. “It is clear, based on our findings, that we have a huge challenge on our hands,” Motshekga said. In recent weeks, some schools have denied learners the right to sit for the NSC final exams, due to their being pregnant. Motshekga said the national policy on the prevention and management of learner pregnancy states that barring a learner from…

This is a special thank you to all the staff at or from Game Grand Central. Sadly, the shop closed its doors this month and has no plans to reopen in the city again (I stand corrected). I’ve had a relationship going back a very long time and want to thank the staff past and present for always “being Game”. There was a certain commitment to service and relationship building way before it was taken over by MassMart and somehow the younger millenials didn’t quite “serve” the same. I fondly recall Aunty, who retired about 4-5 years ago, big Wes, who worked in MultiMedia, as well as Mr Pillay. In fact, all the guys in electronics were awesome. Over the years, all had been very personable and it was because…

One of the biggest social issues here in the Western Cape is homeless residents who take shelter on public land and private property. Numerous attempts via the legal route and offers of shelter fall on deaf ears as the homeless prefer their own housing with plastics and any recyclable items. The offer of shelter with almost-home comforts and reuniting with family are discarded with contempt. I want to voice an opinion on the reason why we have homeless persons and my conclusion is the call of the wild and freedom. Why do I make this assumption? I was a police officer for almost 26 years in Table Bay Harbour and I was appointed to deal with prostitutes. I also had to deal with the homeless. I was forced to arrest…

The US Embassy’s warning last week of a planned terror attack in Johannesburg was disingenuous and reckless, and must be treated with suspicion. Without consulting or sharing information with South African intelligence and security agencies, the embassy published the advisory on its website, advising its citizens to avoid crowded public places in the Sandton area over the weekend. No further information was forthcoming, but the public was expected to take the imminent terror threat seriously. Soon after, the UK, French and Australian embassies shared the news with their citizens. Unsubstantiated reports later suggested the advisory was based on intel that a gay pride event and Jewish comedian Nik Rabinowitz’s show were targets of a potential attack by the Islamic State. Fortunately – and as expected – the weekend passed without…

ADDIS ABABA: African Union (AU) Commission chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has condemned the deadly terrorist attack in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. The “horrific terrorist attack killed more than 100 innocent civilians and wounded many more”, he said. Twin car bomb explosions targeting Somalia’s Education Ministry on Saturday killed at least 100 people and injured more than 300 others, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said yesterday. The fatalities are likely to rise as government offices, hotels and restaurants are near the bombing site. Faki urged the international community to redouble support to Somalia to defeat terrorists. | Xinhua…

Paris: Two men have been charged with illegally accessing private information as part of an online campaign against people close to Monaco’s Prince Albert II. The Belgian businessman and a Monegasque lawyer were arrested last Tuesday. They are suspected of involvement in a website, “Dossiers du Rocher” (“The Rock Files”, referring to Monaco by its nickname), which hosted videos, confidential email conversations and hostile articles dealing with property development in the principality where 1m² of living space can sell for up to €100 000 (R1.8m). | AFP…