Innholdsfortegnelse for CA-2021-04-08 i Cape Argus

Peter Little SOUTH African stocks ended the first quarter strongly, delivering a double-digit return of 12.6 percent – its second consecutive double-digit quarterly return. In the fourth quarter of last year, it recorded an 11.5 percent gain. A slew of earnings announcements last month delivered generally better-than-expected results and saw gains for JSE-listed companies. Insurers were a rare weak spot for March, as earnings results were accompanied by a cautious tone and news of additional provisions against claims related to new waves of Covid-19 infections. Diversified mining producers were another weak spot, held back by softening commodity prices. Iron ore fell 6.2 percent month-on-month (MoM). MTN was among the best-performing JSE-listed companies, rising 19.5 percent MoM as it discussed plans for a value unlock. Retailer Shoprite was…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za GOLDEN Arrow bus passengers travelling to Eerste River through Khayelitsha were robbed by two armed men in Spine Road, next to Graceland. Golden Arrow Bus Services (Gabs) spokesperson Bronwen Dyke-Beyer said that yesterday two men forced their way onto a bus that had stopped for passengers. Police spokesperson FC Van Wyk said according to reports the driver stopped at about 6.40am, and as passengers alighted the bus one man produced a firearm, another a knife. Van Wyk said the men took an undisclosed number of cellphones from the passengers and an undisclosed amount of money from the driver. He said they fled on foot. “The docket will be transferred to Lingelethu West police station for further investigation as the incident occurred in their jurisdiction,” he said. Dyke-Beyer…

Zintle Mahlati zintle.mahlati@inl.co.za THE Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing health-care inequalities, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said at a World Health Day event yesterday. He said the pandemic had brought into sharp focus the need for the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI) plan. “The universal health coverage agenda is critical for our context, as further highlighted by the current pandemic. The implementation of NHI is seen as a critical intervention that will assist in restructuring the core components of the health system,” he said. Mkhize said there was also an urgent need to expand Africa’s vaccine-manufacturing capabilities. He said the continent could not be left to rely on other countries. World Health Organization regional director for Africa Dr Matshidiso Moeti said the lack of equitable access to Covid-19…

I have often wondered what this magical power is that alcohol holds over the human race. For thousands of years, men and women have contrived to ferment berries and other fruits to create substances that make them behave stupidly. In today’s technological world we are well aware of the effects of alcohol consumption. On festive occasions, our governments often ban the sale and public consumption of alcohol and – voila! – the road death toll drops dramatically and hospital trauma units enjoy a quiet weekend. It’s been shown to work again and again, but we still demand the right to drink and drive (and kill each other) for the rest of the year. Why do we do it? I suspect that the earliest cave families filled calabashes with berries and…

Alejandro A Tagliavini, senior adviser at The Cedar Portfolio and a member of the advisory council of the Centre on Global Prosperity | Oakland, California I DO not believe in states, they monopolise violence by imposing their “laws”. And, without a doubt, as humans mature, they will disappear, at least in their character of policing and military imposition. However, I always thought that their disappearance would be slow, towards the end of history. But, due to the “pandemic” they behave in such an abusive and childish way that times are accelerating. “World Vaccine Passports Are Coming” headlined Tyler Durden’s article on the recommended Zero-Hedge website. These “vaccine passports” are called the “golden ticket” to travel. Some private companies that make a living from tourism agree because they see…

Sihle Mavuso sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za THE first democratic-era premier of KwaZulu-Natal, between 1994 and 1997, and South Africa’s former ambassador to Egypt, Dr Frank Mdlalose, will be buried today in Madadeni, Newcastle. Mdlalose, 89, succumbed to Covid-19-related complications, and President Cyril Ramaphosa granted him a provincial funeral category 2, which entails the lowering of national flags on the day of his burial. The eulogy will be delivered by KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala. Mdlalose’s passing brought to the public’s attention his role in stabilising the province after it was ravaged by political violence from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. While he started his political career as a young activist of the ANC in the 1960s, Mdlalose went on to be a founding member of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in 1975.…

Women need to lead the charge to topple the age-old dominant system of patriarchy NATIONAL governments of most countries have put in place an enabling policy and legislative framework for gender equality. However, progress in the advancement of women to top leadership positions continues to be slow. To address the problem, quotas for women in leadership positions have been advanced as a solution, but the reality is that most women lack confidence to take these positions, because of the damage done to them by patriarchy. A major paradigm shift in the mindset of women is necessary, so that they can adopt empowering beliefs in their potential to be great leaders instead of followers. Leadership attributes come naturally to men because they are programmed to be leaders from the day they…

European and British medicine regulators said yesterday they had found possible links between AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine and reports of very rare cases of brain blood clots, in a setback for inoculation campaigns. A British government advisory group said the vaccine should not be given to the under-30s where possible, though an official said this was “really out of the utmost caution, rather than because we have any serious safety concerns”. More than a dozen countries have suspended use of the vaccine, which has been given to tens of millions of people in Europe, after reports linking it to blood clotting in a few dozen recipients. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said it was “reminding health-care professionals and people receiving the vaccine to remain aware of the possibility of very rare…

ABIDJAN: Ex-president Laurent Gbagbo and his former right-hand man Charles Ble Goude are “free to return to Ivory Coast when they want” after they were definitively acquitted of crimes against humanity, President Alassane Ouattara said yesterday. Ouattara spoke a week after the International Criminal Court (ICC) upheld Gbagbo’s acquittal, with appeals judges confirming that he was finally in the clear over a wave of post-electoral violence in 2010/11. Gbagbo was the first head of state to stand trial at The Hague. More than 3 000 people were killed in the brief civil war which followed Ivory Coast’s 2010 presidential election, when Gbagbo disputed the results. The 77-year-old has been positioning himself for a potential comeback since last year. | AFP…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za IT’S not often that two brothers can play in the same rugby team. At the Bulls, Kriel brothers David and Richard are not just in the same squad, but are competing for the same fullback position too. Richard, though, says he hasn’t always been a No 15. “He is actually the fullback between the two of us, because when I was at school (at Grey College), I was a flyhalf. And because he was so good at school, they thought I must also play at fullback, so they moved me to full-back as well,” Richard said yesterday ahead of the Rainbow Cup, which starts on April 24. David turned 22 in February, while Richard will be 20 in July. The older sibling was favoured for most of…

MIHLALI BALEKA @Mihlalibaleka BANYANA Banyana ace Thembi Kgatlana is relishing the opportunity of being back in the national team structures and working with youngsters after an impressive stint with Spanish Primera Division side SD Eibar. Kgatlana has enjoyed unprecedented success at Eibar, a side she joined in June last year from Portuguese outfit Benfica FC. In 20 appearances for the club in all competitions, the 24-year-old striker has notched 10 goals. Kgatlana’s contribution has put Eibar 12th on the standings with 26 points, nine ahead of the bottom-placed Deportivo and 30 behind leaders FC Barcelona. Nonetheless, with the league on pause due to the Fifa break, Kgatlana says she’s happy to be back at home. “I think for me it’s about physicality,” said Kgatlana about what she’s learnt from her…

Lizzo has revealed she's hoping to make collaborations with Harry Styles and Rihanna happen. The Good As Hell hitmaker revealed she was planning to phone the Golden hitmaker – who she has become great pals with – over the weekend to plan a duet with the 27-year-old pop star. She told fans on Instagram Live: “New music is mother******* coming. “Are you and Harry going to collab? I have a collab with him this weekend. I’m going to call him.” The Truth Hurts hitmaker also has a song she has written for her and the Work hitmaker that she wants to try and get the 33-year-old Bajan superstar to lay down her vocals on. She said: “Rihanna is busy but you know what is crazy? “I have been wanting to…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za THE University of Cape Town’s (UCT) vice-chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng, once the darling of black academics and students, seems to have fallen out of favour with them, after the appointment a white retired academic to replace a black female academic in charge of transformation at the university. Deputy vice-chancellor: Transformation, Professor Loretta Feris was allegedly replaced by 72-year-old Professor Martin Hall on a R2-million salary package. Hall, who served in a variety of roles at UCT between 1983 and 2008, assumed duties as acting deputy vice-chancellor: Transformation, on April 1. National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) Ikapa South regional secretary Baxolise Mali said the union was disappointed that the university council elected to replace a black woman with a 72-year-old retired white professor, while there has…

Mthuthuzeli Ntseku mthuthuzeli.ntseku@inl.co.za THE Social Justice Coalition (SJC) will today launch its Gender Justice and Policing in Informal Settlements campaign targeted at women and children in vulnerable communities. The campaign seeks to give an inside view of how structural violence plays out in the lives of women, children and members of the LGBTQI+ communities in informal settlements. SJC spokesperson Noma Masemula said the campaign would highlight how a lacklustre policing system contributed to the violence experienced by poor black people. “The issues highlighted in the programme ring true to most informal settlements in the country. “Our research work stems from all of those collective experiences. During the programme events, we had the participation of over 22 communities in Cape Town and, as the programme narrows down, we will have…

Ntombi Nkosi ntombi.nkosi@inl.co.za President Cyril Ramaphosa will travel to Mozambique today to attend an extraordinary summit of regional leaders about the crisis in that country. Yesterday, political parties expressed hope that the visit would yield results. This came as the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said it was concerned about reports of displaced people in Mozambique. Ramaphosa will attend the extraordinary double Troika Summit of Heads of State and government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), to be held in Maputo today. The summit will deliberate on measures to address terrorism in Mozambique after the insurgency that left a number of people dead. The SANDF was deployed to help South Africans return home. Ramaphosa will be accompanied by Minister of International Relations and Co-operation Naledi Pandor, Minister of…

Ebrahim Essa | Durban LOATHSOME load shedding debacles continue to make uneducated, unsophisticated citizenry and peasants (read “me” at top of that list) repeatedly ask the same unanswered question: “Who exactly is Eskom? Where does he live? How was he born? Is he a local fellow or from the north? Who pays his money at the end of the month? (don’t answer that!)” Did he create electricity like that American (has to be American, right?) – Benjamin Franklin, just after he sulked off into the mountains just because he asked for more allowance and his father shouted “Go fly a kite!” Or was this Eskom creature created from a bolt of lightning over the Majuba Mountains, like that local, friendly, Frankenstein monster? “Parastatal?” Is that word derived from…

The Western Cape’s the new head of education assumed duty on Thursday April 1, 2021. Yes, this is no April Fool’s Day joke. It is real. We have had various MECs in the Western Cape and the only two I respected were Cameron Dugmore and Yusuf Gabru. These two MECs came down to the people on the ground. They were prepared to listen to ordinary teachers in the trenches, especially Gabru. In all his speeches as Education MEC, he made a point to thank teachers for their hard work and attended to the problems of teachers. He was not autocratic. He believed in excellence but was on hand to assist teachers. He was bold enough to go against his head of Education if he thought the wrong decisions were made.…

Dr Marda Horn and Anthea-Lee September-Van Huffel THE Minister of Justice, Constitutional Development and Correctional Services, together with the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform announced on March 1 that the Land Court Bill had been approved by the Cabinet for submission to Parliament. Although the bill has not been published, the announcement made reference to several important provisions in the bill in as far as it could affect the effective determination of disputes around land in our country. Should the proposed provisions be properly implemented, this may prove an important step towards increasing the effectiveness of land reform and the alleviation of socio-economic challenges linked to the unequal distribution of land and land resources. The bill originates from the recommendations of the Presidential Advisory Panel…

A week of rioting in Northern Ireland is the first evidence Brexit turbulence may be boiling into unrest in the British province, where post-EU rules are stoking fury among pro-UK sections. The unrest emanates from the unionist community – which believes in Northern Ireland’s status as part of the UK – and where some feel a new post-Brexit “protocol” is an existential threat. Last week violence flared in the city of Londonderry, before spreading to the capital Belfast and outlying areas over Easter weekend and into Monday. Small bands of masked males set cars alight and tossed petrol bombs and masonry at police, injuring 41 officers. Police formed ranks with riot shields and armoured vehicles to retake the streets, arresting teens and young adults. “There is no doubt that Brexit…

KHARTOUM: An uneasy calm was restored to the capital of Sudan’s West Darfur state yesterday, residents said, after five days of fighting between Arab and Masalit tribesmen in which scores of people were killed. A local doctors’ committee said 87 people had been killed and 191 injured since Saturday in the fighting in the city, El Geneina.. The humanitarian situation remains dire, with thousands of people having sought refuge after a camp for displaced people was burnt down during the fighting. | Reuters…

BULL S5, M-NET, DSTV CHANNEL 101, 8.35PM In the fifth exciting season, psychologist and trial science expert Dr Jason Bull faces his toughest case yet. When a major secret of his religious leader client is revealed, will Bull be able to save face in court and – more importantly – what will the impact be on his consulting firm, whose entire business relies on giving aid to jurors during trials? BEACHFRONT BARGAIN HUNT RENOVATION S2 , REALTIME, DSTV CHANNEL 155, 3PM A relaxing getaway with an oceanfront view is only a renovation away for families on the hunt for a home away from home that has beach access and is affordable. Each episode follows the progress toward purchasing a fixer-upper, which the family then transforms into their very own…

From page 1 “Symbolically, this appointment endorses patriarchy and celebrates whiteness at UCT, and hence also perpetuates the historical power imbalances, including the sustaining of historically dominant voices within the university,” said the BAC. Student Representative Council (SRC) chairperson Declan Dyer said for the university to defend such an appointment, in the name of diversity that the university claims to promote, was in fact to explicitly pledge allegiance to an anti-black colonial project that confidently masquerades as the transformation project. However, Phakeng said Feris was neither “fired” nor “axed” as alleged. Her term was set to end on December 31. However, she did not seek a second term of office. Phakeng said Feris informed her – as her line manager – of her decision early enough to enable the commencement…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za WITH the gradual increase in violent crimes, particularly crimes related to gang violence on the Cape Flats, the National Crime Combating Forum through the crime register has deployed 200 police officers to help curb the scourge. The multidisciplinary group of officers, welcomed by Police Minister Bheki Cele and the provincial police management at a police camp in Belhar yesterday, are to augment the force carring out Operation Lockdown in the province. According to Cele, the officers had been deployed since March in the Khayelitsha, Delft, Kraaifontein, Nyanga, Harare and Philippi East policing precincts. Cele said crime in the Western Cape remained difficult to reduce in several categories. He said out of the 30 police stations countrywide dealing with the highest levels of crime, 10 were in…

Farouk Cassim | Cope ALMOST every day of every week, an innocent child or adult is murdered. There is no respite for many communities in Cape Town. Sleeping on your bed, sitting in your lounge or walking to the corner shop is hazardous. As a councillor attending monthly meetings of Sub-Council 10 in Khayelitsha and as a weekday subscriber to the Daily Voice, in addition to many other newspapers, I am appalled to hear and read what fellow citizens in the townships of Cape Town are going through over and above the daily challenges of putting bread on the table. Policing has been a palliative, not a solution. Moreover, police presence is not possible in every spot every moment of the day. Something more has to be…

THIS is an open letter to all citizens and organisations burdened with preventing or policing pollution. I want especially to ask the Port authorities if there is policing of oil and diesel pollution. In the 1980s when I was a member of the SA Railways Police at Table Bay Harbour our water wing police boats called Valk and Loerie would patrol. When a ship spilt oil or diesel, the captain of that offending ship would get a J534 summons with the option to go to court or pay an admission of guilt of fine of R200. Due to dead fish seen in the Waterfront there must be a reason why they are dead. The question is whether oil and diesel pollution is being policed by the authorities. Also, is there…

HOW did South Africa’s struggling rail commuter network, the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa), get to where it is, requiring billions to fix its infrastructure? It has been crippled by widespread vandalism, said to have cost an estimated R4 billion in the past few years. During level 5 of the Covid-19 lockdown last year, the commuter service was suspended, with only skeleton staff on duty. This led to further destruction of its infrastructure. Commenting on the damage, Prasa Board chairperson Leonard Ramatlakane admitted it was a mistake to have left stations unguarded. “We should have done something better to prevent that, but we could not see it coming,” he told the media. How could Prasa not have seen this coming? Vandalism, theft and infrastructure damage has plagued the stations…

TEHRAN: Iran’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday an Iranian ship, the Saviz, had been attacked in the Red Sea, a day after reports that the vessel had been hit with limpet mines. “The explosion … caused minor damage with no casualties,” the ministry said. It is the latest in a series of reported attacks on Israeli or Iranian-owned ships since late February, for which the two sides have each accused each other. Iran has refused to recognise Israel since its Islamic Revolution in 1979 that toppled the US-backed Shah. Israel sees Iran’s nuclear programme as a threat to its existence. | Reuters…

Ethiopia said yesterday that it would not be deterred from impounding water at its Nile mega-dam, despite an impasse with downstream countries worried about their water supply. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has been a source of tension in the Nile River basin ever since Ethiopia broke ground on it in 2011. Downstream neighbours Egypt and Sudan view the dam as a threat because of their dependence on Nile waters, while Ethiopia considers it essential for its electrification and development. The latest round of talks concluded this week in Kinshasa with no resolution to long-running disputes over how the dam will be operated. But Ethiopian water minister Seleshi Bekele said yesterday that Ethiopia would continue filling the dam’s massive reservoir during the rainy season, which normally begins in June or…