Innholdsfortegnelse for 2022-01-11 i Cape Argus

RICHARD TOMES THE GOVERNMENT’S plan to spend R791.2 billion in the next three years, coupled with private sector commitments, is important to push initiatives to jump-start this economy back to life. However, the government will need to unblock infrastructure bottle- necks, a technical skills shortage and a funding crunch that has been undermining infrastructure delivery. Infrastructure development has been on the government’s plate for several years, but with little to no progress. South Africa has identified more than 50 Strategic Integrated Projects (Sips) with huge potential to create jobs on a large scale, attract investment and lay a foundation for sustainable economic expansion. The Sips have potential to create 300 000 job opportunities in the next few years through projects in human settlement, water and sanitation, agro-processing, and…

Emily Yahr Bob Saget, the comedian and actor best known for his starring role in Full House and hosting the original America’s Funniest Home Videos in the 1980s and ’90s, died on Sunday at age 65. According to the sheriff’s office in Orange County, Florida, he was found in a hotel room in Orlando. “Earlier today, deputies were called to the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes for a call about an unresponsive man in a hotel room,” the sheriff’s office account posted on Twitter. “The man was identified as Robert Saget and pronounced deceased on scene. Detectives found no signs of foul play or drug use in this case.” TMZ first reported that Saget was found in his room by hotel security on Sunday afternoon. The comedian had recently launched a…

Rafieka Williams rafieka.williams@inl.co.za COMMUNITY leaders in Cape Town are demanding more police visibility this year, claiming this to be the only real solution to assist Cape Flats crime prevention efforts. Hanover Park community leader Yaseen Johaar said even though police visibility could help crime prevention efforts, it might not be enough at this point. “For years we’ve been calling for police visibility as a key factor. To have them present and visible so that crime would drop. “With our experience of last year in the community, we also collect our own independent statistics and I’m realising that maybe even visible policing wouldn’t be enough if you look at the type of policing we get,” Johaar said. Manenberg community leader Amina Abrahams said: “People need to stand together. What we’ve found…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za FINANCE Minister Enoch Godongwana has been asked to allocate more funding to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the Hawks to allow them to deal quickly with state capture cases. The call was made by Cosatu, which said it appreciated the initial work done by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration to strengthen the law enforcement agencies and other judicial institutions, but what was now needed was fast action. “We call on Godongwana to allocate adequate resources to the NPA, SIU and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks’ official name) to ensure that they appoint enough investigators and prosecutors to deal with the cases originating from the Zondo Commission and corruption in general,” the federation said. Commission chairperson, Acting Chief Justice Raymond…

Kristin Engel kristin.engel@inl.co.za VOLUNTEERS and conservationists joined the Cape of Good Hope SPCA on a special mission to rescue and release more than 500 beached starfish washed ashore along Clovelly Beach near Fish Hoek last week. Cape of Good Hope SPCA spokesperson Belinda Abraham said they could not pin-point the reason for the Spiny Sea Stars washing ashore. The most probable explanation was that it was the result of a combination of factors such as their natural breeding behaviour which coincides with spring tides, some red tide in the Bay, a sudden increase in water temperature, or a new pollutant that is in the sea, Abraham said. The last mass walk-out of Spiny Sea Stars in these waters occurred in September 2020, Abraham added. At the time a sudden increase…

Nomalanga Tshuma nomalanga.tshuma@inl.co.za A 22-YEAR-OLD law enforcement officer is expected to appear in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court today on a charge of murder following his arrest over the weekend for the fatal shooting of a homeless man in Rondebosch. The incident, which occurred on Sunday morning, allegedly saw the officer shoot and kill the 38-year-old man in Chester Road after a brief scuffle over extinguishing a fire meant for cooking. Police spokesperson André Traut confirmed the incident, stating that the officer involved in the shooting was arrested at the scene, and was under investigation. Traut said: “Rondebosch police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the alleged murder of a homeless man, who was shot and killed on Sunday morning at about 10am. Initial reports indicate that the suspect was a law…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za Political and economic forecasters say they do not have high hopes for South Africa this year, unless the government introduces far-reaching reforms in governance and bold spending cuts in the economy. Looking ahead to what this year holds for the country, chief economist of the Efficient Group, Dawie Roodt, said he did not see a good year ahead. “We’re in serious trouble. The government is spending too much and must cut back, but it can’t because there are too many people depending on the State for income.” He said he understood the necessity of greater public spending, especially two years ahead of a general election, but the country could not afford it. Roodt said that in terms of growth statistics, this year would be weaker than last…

Colin Bosman | Newlands Listening to President Cyril Ramaphosa waxing lyrical about efforts to resurrect the ANC to its former glory during the ANC’s 110 year birthday celebrations was painful and nothing but pie in the sky. The ANC doesn’t just have a few dissidents, it is split right down the middle and efforts to mend it have about as much chance of success as Humpty Dumpty had when he fell off the wall. CR should be reminded of the date March 15, 44BC, historically known as the Ides of March when Julius Caesar was stabbed to death in the Senate by his enemies within. The ANC has its own Marcus Brutus, head conspirator in the treachery that ended Caesar’s life. We all know who this is. Hopes…

COVID-19 has amplified the gaps in the systems that serve people experiencing homelessness. It has also resulted in an increased number of homeless people. Our House opened in July 2020 with 33 previously homeless people. In 18 months I have seen 138 people do the programme and get re-homed. I have completed a report based on this experience. Each story describes their experiences interacting with or avoiding elements of the homeless-serving system. These stories will all be published. To add depth to the analysis, I also spoke to other service providers, people still staying on the streets and a number of social workers. By not paying attention to the dire housing shortage faced by the lowest-income group, we take away the ability of families to proactively address possible homelessness. By…

A baby, lost during the evacuation of tens of thousands of Afghans at Kabul airport, has been reunited with his family after five months, his elated grandfather has said. The baby’s father had handed two-month-old Sohail Ahmadi to a soldier among jostling crowds desperate to flee the Taliban after the Islamists seized the capital in mid-August. The pair were separated, but taxi driver Hamid Safi found the baby crying and alone on the floor of the airport. He and his wife cared for the baby while they kept searching for the boy’s parents or family.…

Foreign ministers from oil-rich Gulf states arrived in Beijing yesterday for a five-day visit as turmoil in neighbouring Kazakhstan raises concerns about China’s energy security. The officials from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, as well as secretary general of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) Nayef bin Falah al-Hajrah, will be in China until Friday, the foreign ministry has said. Recent unrest in oil and gas-rich Kazakhstan has raised concerns in China, which has long invested heavily in its central Asian neighbour’s energy industry. The visit follows a flurry of diplomatic activity by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, including a tour of Africa as well as visits to the Maldives and Sri Lanka. “Facing vast development prospects, (China) believes this visit ... will further deepen China-GCC relations and promote the…

HERMAN GIBBS herman.gibbs@gmail.com THANKS to their world ranking, Bafana Bafana will not be playing in the Africa Cup of Nations Ivory Coast 2023 preliminary qualifying round, which will be determined at a draw on January 21 in Douala, Cameroon. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have confirmed that the lowest-ranked teams of its 54 affiliates will play the preliminary qualifying round. The winners will advance to the qualifying group stage comprising 48 teams. Ivory Coast, the hosts for the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, will play in the group phase. Even if they fall outside the top two places in their group, they will qualify as hosts. Ivory Coast, two-time Afcon winners, won the bid in 2014 after seeing off Egypt, Guinea and Zambia for the 2023…

LIVERPOOL’s star striker Sadio Mane converted a penalty deep in added time to snatch a fortunate 1-0 victory for Senegal over Zimbabwe in their Africa Cup of Nations Group B opening encounter yesterday in Bafoussam. Disaster struck the gallant underdogs when a shot hit the right arm of Kelvin Madzongwe and Mane sent goalkeeper Petros Mhari the wrong way with the resulting penalty on 97 minutes to settle a lacklustre affair. While Senegal, one of the favourites to win a competition delayed twice by Covid-19, dominated possession, they rarely threatened to break down a well-organised Zimbabwe defence. Senegal lacked Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, who are recovering in Cameroon after testing positive for the coronavirus. Zimbabwe travelled to central Africa without top players, Marvelous Nakamba from…

Edward West AN OPPORTUNITY exists in 2022 to reduce policy uncertainty and implement a wide range of half-forged policies and shovel-ready infra- structure projects, Professor Raymond Parsons of the NWU Business School said yesterday. He was commenting at the release of NWU’s Policy Uncertainty Index (PUI) for the fourth quarter of 2021, which declined to 53.2 points from 58.2 points in the third quarter, and was still well in negative territory. Negative factors that caused the big spike in the third quarter PUI, such as civil unrest in July, diminished in the fourth quarter, but structural impediments to a strong economic recovery remain unless economic reforms are prioritised, he said. A positive element in the fourth quarter was the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement in November that delivered a…

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons tarryn-leigh.solomons@inl.co.za THE police and the Department of Basic Education (DBE) have put measures in place to raise awareness of violence and kidnappings at schools. In a written parliamentary reply to DA MP Ntombi Khumalo, who had enquired about collaborative interventions undertaken by the police and the DBE, Police Minister Bheki Cele said the two departments had completed the process of reviewing the School Safety Protocol, which guides the implementation of School Safety Programmes, aimed at promoting safer schools. “There are various crime awareness campaigns, which are implemented and conducted by the SAPS at schools to address, among other things, incidents of bullying and gangsterism among pupils in and around school premises. “Currently, there is a National School Safety Violence and Bullying Prevention Initiative that is being implemented in…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za TEACHERS across the nation can now register their learners for the country’s two best-known mathematics competitions. The SA Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) announced last week that teachers can register their learners for the Nestlé Nespray South African Mathematics Challenge (SAMC) and the Old Mutual South African Mathematics Olympiad, co-sponsored by the South African Institute for Chartered Accountants (SAICA). The SAMF said that for the first time in the foundation’s history, both competitions have full digital capabilities for the registration and payment processes, and the first-round papers. The SAMC is open for all Grade 4 to 7s and the Olympiad welcomes all Grade 8 to 12s. Both contests are open to all schools in South Africa and neighbouring countries. According to the SAMF, Quintile 1 and 2 schools can…

Nokuthula Mabuza nokuthula.mabuza@inl.co.za BASIC Education Minister Angie Motshekga is expected to give a detailed briefing on progress for the reopening of schools in Pretoria today. Motshekga is expected to speak about strategies to save the academic year and ensure that learners and teachers will be safe from any possible infection of Covid-19. This includes learner admissions, filling of vacant posts, infrastructure, school furniture, personal protective equipment, textbooks, the National School Nutrition Programme, time tabling under Covid-19 2022 restrictions and readiness for teaching and learning. Vacant Posts: In 2020, the department noted that the vacant posts were created by attrition, retirements, promotions and even Covid-19 fatalities. However, late last year, about 2 000 posts in the province were said to remain vacant in 2022 while the Department of Education halted retrenchments.…

Rob Johnston | Tokai THE article “City’s war on crime sets off ongoing war of words” (Cape Argus, January 10) gives some details of the bickering between Brett Herron and the mayor, with the mayor saying the people want and need more protection, and Herron saying the letter of the law must be followed in setting up anti-crime units. Further down the page is another crime-related article: “Gun, knife attacks claim lives of 3 people at weekend”, which also mentions a death which apparently was mob justice against a thief in Wallacedene – indicating that communities regard crime control as very important. Mob justice and kangaroo courts appear to be regular occurrences in the poorer communities (and there’s probably a bit of quiet crook bashing by neighbourhood watch…

Lee Koetser THERE has always been a clouded understanding linked to the causes of addiction. For as long as the Earth has existed, there has been the “nature v nurture” debate. Our own Princess Leia from Star Wars quoted: “You can only find Heaven when you slowly back away from hell.” This was her depiction of addiction. Reflect on this: “If you can stop but don’t want to, or want to but can’t stop, you are addicted.” This is a rather chilling statement. We are all addicts in some area of our lives. Addiction is not necessarily substance related. It is associated with sex, work, food, devices and more. As time progresses and we encounter more stresses, we will find this will trigger more addictions. Covid-19 has given rise…

Keith Gottschalk PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has delivered a speech to mark the anniversary of the formation of the ANC, which he also leads as president. It was the party’s 110th birthday. As long as it is the governing party, the ANC’s January 8 statement concerns not only its members and commentators, but also all South Africans. Analysing the speech requires the recognition that the ANC is in one of the toughest corners it’s been in since leading the first democratic government in 1994. Ramaphosa’s performance needs to be understood in this context. Ramaphosa became president of the ANC in 2017 by a razor-thin majority. Ace Magashule of the opposing faction won the key post of secretary-general, with powers over branches. In the intervening five years, Magashule has had to…

Pomp, pageantry and a pudding contest will form the centrepiece of celebrations to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the throne, Buckingham Palace announced yesterday. The 95-year-old monarch’s Platinum Jubilee begins on February 6 – the date in 1952 when she became queen after the death of her father, King George VI. Britain’s longest-serving monarch will be the only queen or king in the country’s long history to have ruled for 70 years. The Queen has called for the celebrations to promote a mood of national unity.…

The UN urged Somalia’s leaders yesterday to make good on their agreement for a new election timetable after repeated delays sparked a perilous political crisis. Under a deal announced on Sunday after talks between Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble and state leaders, parliamentary polls that should have wrapped up last year are now due to be concluded by February 25. The election impasse set off a power struggle between Roble and President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, better known as Farmajo, that threatened the stability of the fragile Horn of Africa nation. The UN mission in Somalia said on Twitter it was “pleased” at the consensus reached during the meetings of the National Consultative Council. But it added: “The priority now is to implement these decisions to achieve a credible and…

ZAAHIER ADAMS zaahier.adams@inl.co.za TO all and sundry, the Proteas have looked in increasing turmoil the past couple of years. Indeed, taking into account the length of time since South Africa last won a significant Test match, let alone their well-documented off field problems, the rainbow seemed far off in the horizon. But it’s 2022, a year of new beginnings and fresh starts, when they miraculously find themselves in the uncharted waters of being unbeaten for the year thus far after a memorable victory over the world’s No 1 Test side India last week at the Wanderers. And were it not for these confusing Covid-19 times that we live in, where thousands upon thousands can flood Cape Town’s prime beaches over the festive season but none can attend sports matches bar…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za COMMERCIAL tenant rental payment recovery stalled in the third quarter and the percentage of tenants in good standing declined, the TPN Credit Bureau’s Commercial Rental Monitor for the third quarter of 2021 showed. This followed four prior quarters of strong recovery out of 2020’s hard lockdowns and deep recession. TPN’s data showed that in the second quarter of 2020, only 50.36 percent of commercial tenants were in good standing with their landlords. The percentage of tenants in good standing – those that were either fully paid up, paid late or in a grace period – decreased slightly from 67.12 percent in the second quarter of 2021 to 66.69 percent in the third quarter. The percentage remained well below the pre-lockdown level of 77.85…

Alyssia Birjalal Now that local music producer Prince Kaybee is a dad, he has come to realise the importance of it and says he wishes he could apologise to his dad for being ungrateful as a child. The producer tweeted about how sorry he was for thinking that his dad purposely chose not to be present most of the time when he was growing up. But how now he realises that his father always worked to make sure his family were well looked after. “I’d like to apologise to my dad for thinking he was sometimes not present in my life by choice, He was an incredible man that made sure we are stable as a family financially and worked his ass off. RIP DAD,” he posted. In response, a…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za WITH the arrival of the Western Cape fire season, Premier Alan Winde has called on residents of the province to conduct fire assessments of their homes and places of work and thus play their part to prevent fires and save lives. Winde was speaking after a briefing at the Provincial Disaster Management Centre at Tygerberg Hospital detailing the province’s extensive preparations in place to prevent fires at the Province’s facilities. “Have you checked your fire extinguisher of late? Do you have a plan, should there be a fire? Please ensure that you have proper protocols in place to evacuate your facility should a fire occur.” He said detailed planning and investment were critical as the province has around 20 000 fires a year, 90% of which…

Nomalanga Tshuma nomalanga.tshuma@inl.co.za FRUSTRATED Ruyterwacht residents say their community has become a haven for criminals who they blame for the increasing incidence of vandalism and cable theft. Telkom copper cables, used for phones and internet connections, have been stolen from several houses. Community stakeholders are preparing to take an active stance against crime in the area and are looking to employ anti-crime initiatives over the next few months. Elsies River Community Policing Forum (CPF) spokesperson Imraahn Mukaddam said crime in Ruyterwacht had been steadily increasing. “While I cannot say crime has been increasing because of one thing, I believe the recent influx of wandering individuals into the area has contributed. I know the area is battling with not only cable theft and the destruction of electrical outlets, which often badly…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa has received a vote of confidence after the party’s Northern Cape provincial secretary, Deshi Ngxanga, proposed he get a second term. Ngxanga backed ANC Limopo provincial chairperson Stan Mathabatha, who also made the call for Ramaphosa to be re-elected. “These are some of the very important achievements of the president: he ended state capture; interventions at state-owned entities like Eskom and SAA, where he has been seen as a new broom sweeping away years of corruption and maladministration,” Ngxanga said. He said Ramaphosa also pushed through the new minimum wage, moved in to address challenges at the SA Revenue Service, and appointed investment envoys to bring in more than R1 trillion worth of investments. According to Ngxanga, jobs were created, which was at…

MOHAMED SAEED | Pietermaritzburg The first of the three-part reports of the Zondo Commission could hardly be more damning. The findings are a national disgrace and a crime against South Africans as it undermines democracy, the Constitution and most importantly, it affects economic growth. The State Capture Commission has delivered incriminatory findings, all of which occurred under the management of the government led by the governing party, the ANC. Such gross mismanagement of state-owned entities (S0Es) by highly paid directors is unacceptable. The Companies Act clearly states that directors can be personally held liable for any losses or debts sustained by a company because of their reckless trading. Such disrespect for the rule of law cannot go with immunity; the government must walk the talk by following and…

C Uys | Blackheath I AM actually writing to Eskom chief executive André de Ruyter… because via the media is the only way I might get his attention. Your company is asking a 20% increase but Eskom can’t do the basic thing right. The past few days had been a nightmare for me. I always submit my meter reading on the days I’m supposed to to avoid an estimate reading. We all know that estimate readings are higher than actual readings, and that customers must pay for the estimate reading otherwise their account goes into arrears. I have sent various emails to your customer services with my reading. All I got was an automated response but no action. I then submitted my reading by using the self-service (voice…

A Rashied Omar During the first week of 2022, the first of a three-part Zondo Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture Report was released. Part 2 of the Zondo Commission Report will be released by the end of this month and the final report will be handed over to the president before the end of the next month. The first instalment of the Zondo Commission Report exposes the sheer magnitude of the “capture” of the South African State by powerful private interest groups during the nine-year presidency of Jacob Zuma. I encourage all to take the time to read and carefully review the entire Zondo Commission Report when it is released. We particularly look forward to the judicious and efficient implementation of the Zondo Commission’s recommendations so…

Pope Francis condemned “baseless” ideological misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines yesterday, backing national immunisation campaigns and calling health care a moral obligation. Francis spoke in his yearly address to the diplomatic corps, sometimes called his “State of the World” address because it is a broad survey of the global situation. His words to diplomats from nearly 200 countries marked the closest he has come to backing of vaccine mandates, which have become controversial in Italy and other European countries. “We have realised that in those places where an effective vaccination campaign has taken place, the risk of severe repercussions of the disease has decreased,” he said. “It is therefore important to continue the effort to immunise the general population as much as possible”. Francis, who dedicated about a fifth of his…

HERMAN GIBBS herman.gibbs@gmail.com WHILE activity in the mid-season transfer window has been fairly muted, Sekhukhune United have been far more active than their fellow Premiership teams. They signed former Orlando Pirates winger Justin Shonga, who was a free agent after securing his release from Egyptian Premier League outfit Ismailly a few weeks ago. According to sources at the Kempton Park-based club, the Zambian international striker, who has 33 caps for his country, has been training with the club. He has signed a contract until the end of the season. Shonga is well known in local football circles. After his 46-match stint at Pirates, he played for Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) and Cape Town City before moving to Egypt. Sekhukhune have also signed international striker Elmo Kambindu of Namibia. He will…