Innholdsfortegnelse for 2021-05-07 i Cape Argus

Local film ‘Two Hues’ scores another win Liam Karabo Joyce liam.joyce@inl.co.za South African short film Two Hues is again making waves on the global stage. Shot in Cape Town, the film, which has been screened at a festival in the UK, was awarded the best director prize at the North Europe International Film Festival last month, and has now been awarded “Best Women Empowerment Film” at the Berlin Short Film Festival this past weekend. This is the third international award since its release on the international festival circuit in January. “It is an amazing achievement for the film to receive accolades from countries in which the cinema culture is so very advanced, like the UK, France and Germany. I believe the juries of these festivals appreciate the craft displayed in…

LOYISO SIDIMBA OUTGOING Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng will have to use part of his three-and-a-half months’ long leave to deal with the Judicial Conduct Committee’s (JCC’s) sanction that he apologises for his pro-Israel comments. Chief Justice Mogoeng’s appeal of retired Gauteng Judge President Phineas Mojapelo’s ruling will be considered by the committee next month at the Constitutional Court. Judge Mojapelo ordered the chief chief justice to publicly apologise and issue a retraction of the statements he made last year during a Jerusalem Post webinar, at which he claimed to be under an obligation as a Christian to love Israel and pray for Jerusalem’s peace, which he said meant the Middle Eastern country’s peace. ”If I curse Abraham and Israel, the almighty God will curse me too,” he said.…

A 36-YEAR-OLD warrant officer based at Hebron police station in the North West has appeared in the Ga-Rankuwa Magistrate’s Court on an attempted murder charge after allegedly shooting his wife in the face. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) said Semausu Eddie Molobela allegedly shot his wife after an argument. The police watchdog’s national spokesperson Ndileka Cola said “(Ipid) is investigating (a case of the) discharge of an official firearm as mandated by the Ipid Act. It is alleged that on Tuesday night the suspect had an argument with his 33-year-old wife. He allegedly shot the victim in her face. “The victim’s son allegedly rushed her to the nearest hospital for medical attention. The hospital transferred the victim to a hospital in Pretoria, where she is in intensive care unit.”…

Mayibongwe Maqhina mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za TRANSPORT Minister Fikile Mbalula yesterday painted a bleak picture of the state-owned entities that fall under his department, saying some racked up billions of rands in losses during the lockdown. The situation was so dire that some of the entities face shortfalls in operational expenditure and will record low revenue in the coming years. Mbalula revealed this when he briefed the National Council of Provinces on mitigating the impact of Covid-19 on the transport industry. “Operations in aviation came to a complete halt, as we closed the airspace to both domestic and international travel, except for repatriation and medical evacuations. This led to airline operators, that were already under financial distress, such as the South African Airways and Comair, to go into business rescue. “Public transport…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za THE battle over the Speaker’s chair on the Beaufort West council continues, after the ANC and its coalition partner, the Karoo Development Front (KDF), on Wednesday passed a motion of no confidence in speaker Derrick Welgemoed (DA), replacing him with Latitia Deyce (ANC). Welgemoed was elected speaker in mid-February after disagreements between the ANC and KDF caused the previous ANC speaker to resign. Following Wednesday’s change in speaker, ANC Central Karoo regional secretary Winde Plaatjie said the vote was a direct result of the recent by-election in the municipality in which the ANC retained its seat on the council. “The voters showed their confidence in us at the polls, and we had to respond. As the ANC/KDF we will always put the decorum of the municipality council…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za PROFESSOR Adam Habib’s “mistake” of vocalising the N-word did not itself make him a racist, the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies’ (SOAS’) external investigation has found. The former Wits University vice-chancellor was suspended from his new job as SOAS director after he used the N-word during a video meeting with students in March. Habib had agreed to “step aside” while the matter was being investigated. SOAS board of trustees chairperson Marie Staunton said it accepted the full recommendations of the independent external investigation. “I want to be clear especially on the use of the N-word: the report notes that the director spoke the word in full while trying to say that it should not be used within the SOAS community and that he…

IT WILL be about the “man”, about his morality. The contrasting events of President Cyril Ramaphosa testifying at the Zondo Commission, and the temporary suspension of ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule, arguably sets the tone for political contests for the upcoming local government elections. Policy positions of parties, municipalities’ performance with service delivery, and how ward representatives engaged citizens over time are key priorities. However, political symbolism increasingly trumps these more sober considerations. This refers to the conclusions that citizens draw regarding a party, by only, or mostly, considering the public images and incidents involving members of the party. Even if citizens’ views are based on public discourse and popular gossip, what these events reveal is that voting may be based on what the most senior leaders of a party represent…

The International Criminal Court on Thursday sentenced Dominic Ongwen, a Ugandan child soldier who became a commander of the notorious Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), to 25 years’ jail for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Dominic Ongwen, 45, whose nom de guerre was “White Ant”, was found guilty in February of 61 charges, including murders, rapes and sexual enslavement during a reign of terror in the early 2000s by the LRA, led by the fugitive Joseph Kony. Prosecutors had asked for a 20-year prison term, saying Ongwen’s history as a schoolboy abducted by the LRA justified a lower sentence than the maximum 30 years to life allowed by the ICC. But he was given a 25-year sentence. The defence had sought a 10-year prison term for Ongwen for attacks by…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za ONGOING electrical faults on the already dilapidated railway infrastructure are crippling train services, with working trains suspended almost every day, leaving commuters stranded. This, after Metrorail announced the suspension of the Monte Vista railway line this week due to electrical faults, with spokesperson Zino Mihi saying their engineers were still trying to solve the problem. United National Transport Union (Untu) spokesperson Sonja Carstens said the union has been very concerned about the situation, because it had a severe impact not only on commuters, but on the whole of Cape Town, and especially on their members, who were employees. Carstens said the problem was that there was too much electricity coming through the overhead cables to the motor coaches, hence creating a very dangerous situation. She urged the…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za UWC students are complaining about the late distribution of allowances, with the Student Representative Council (SRC) saying first-year students are going hungry. UWC spokesperson Gasant Abarder said allowances were being disbursed to all qualifying students. However, he said that because of Covid-19 it was required that the banks check the bank details before they could be loaded on to the system. Abarder said this lengthened the process. He said UWC was unable to confirm how many students had received their allowances because it was an ongoing process. Abarder said UWC was in constant communication with students. “Students are advised to contact the Financial Aid Office. Additionally, general communications are released to keep students informed,” he said. Abarder said the Nutrition and Wellness Project was assisting students,…

Ntombi Nkosi ntombi.nkosi@inl.co.za Businessman Kevin Wakeford told the Commission of Inquiry into state capture yesterday that former Bosasa chief operating officer Angelo Agrizzi was allegedly racist. Wakeford said he had considered the relevant portions of the affidavits previously submitted by Agrizzi and former Bosasa employee Frans Vorster as well as their oral evidence before the commission. He stated that in both instances, the witnesses had made false, malicious, scant, vague and unsubstantiated allegations. "I unequivocally deny these allegations made by these witnesses seeking to implicate me in corruption and fraud in relation to Bosasa and the Department of Home Affairs, SA Revenue Service (Sars), or any other organ of state,” said Wakeford. Agrizzi previously told the commission that Wakeford allegedly received R100 000 a month for helping Bosasa “resolve…

Nomalanga Tshuma nomalanga.tshuma@inl.co.za SEVEN-hundred and twenty micro farmers are set to benefit from the City’s R3 million Urban Agriculture Programme, which will fund the implementation of community-based food gardens projects in local communities across the City’s 24 sub councils. The funding which was approved late last month by the council will go towards supporting more than 30 urban farms, and upskilling and uplifting local aspiring urban farmers. The announcement regarding the funding comes after the City made a call for applications from non-profit organisations for grant funding to be implemented in partnership with the South African Institute of Entrepreneurship as the service provider. Mayco member for urban management Grant Twigg said the goal of the initiative was to assist households to develop home gardens to supply most of the non-staple…

Kristin Engel kristin.engel@inl.co.za TO HELP spread warmth this winter, the Kolisi Foundation has launched a national blanket drive, in partnership with a local storage company, to collect thousands of blankets over the coming weeks. Residents are encouraged to donate blankets at any of the Stor-Age facilities in Cape Town until May 19. The blankets will be distributed in disadvantaged communities across the country during June and July. Stor-Age communications head Rob Baird said an assessment was under way to determine where the blankets were needed most. Rachel Kolisi, co-founder of the foundation and the wife of Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, said: “We look forward to seeing how this partnership continues to develop and will aid in alleviating extreme poverty, mentoring youth and promoting equality in South Africa through collaborative…

President Cyril Ramaphosa boldly told members of Parliament yesterday that “the days of state capture are over”. Ramaphosa’s comments come as the Zondo Commission has been given until next month to wrap up its work. This week, Justice and Correctional Service Minister Ronald Lamola indicated that his department had begun feeling the financial crunch of the commission, saying it had become too costly with money being constantly diverted from other government programmes to fund it. Considering that the commission was established almost three years ago, many citizens have come face to face with the reality that the capture and looting of the country’s state organs has been systematic over many years. This then begs the question: How many years will it now take for the government to completely clear out…

KABUL: A high-profile Afghan television journalist was shot dead in southern Kandahar city yesterday, officials said, a day after the Taliban warned against “biased reporting”. Nemat Rawan was, until last month, a popular talk-show host with the country’s leading broadcaster before joining the ministry of finance as a communications specialist. He was “assassinated by unknown gunmen”, said Kandahar city police. There was no claim of responsibility for the attack, but the Taliban have been blamed for a wave of assassinations targeting journalists in recent months. Abdullah Abdullah, head of the country’s peace council, condemned the Taliban’s threats and “any attempts to silence Afghan journalists”. | Reuters…

But NEC to put Ace’s moves under scrutiny Baldwin Ndaba baldwin.ndaba@inl.co.za SUSPENDED ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule’s assertion that he has powers to suspend the party’s president Cyril Ramaphosa will come under close scrutiny at the party’s watershed national executive committee this weekend. Magashule made the claim on Wednesday, saying his suspension of Ramaphosa was in terms of resolution 8.2 of the 54th national conference, which states that “every cadre accused of, or reported to be involved in corrupt practices accounts to the Integrity Committee immediately, or faces DC (disciplinary committee) processes”. The NEC is also due to finalise its lists of people to be placed on suspension, after an alleged increase in the number of people defying the party. Limpopo ANC treasurer Danny Msiza – implicated in the VBS scandal…

Shakirah Thebus shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa was the guest of honour when he broke fast (iftar) with members of the Muslim community in Athlone. Greater Athlone Parliamentary Constituency Office MP Faiez Jacobs and the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) hosted Ramaphosa at the Islamia College in Lansdowne last night. The visit comes during the last 10 nights of Ramadaan, considered especially significant as acts of worship and charity are intensified. “Our communities are ravaged by the economic impact of Covid-19, including business closures, difficult trading conditions, burgeoning unemployment, poverty and loss of breadwinners. Ramadaan trains us to live conscious of our duty to Allah and to care for our neighbours and those less fortunate. We are delighted to co-host the president of the Republic and to share the issues that…

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons Tarryn-Leigh.Solomons@iinl.co.za A COVID-19 audit revealed that personal protective equipment (PPE) was procured by government departments at prices that were higher than market-related rates, as determined by national Treasury. This revelation was made when a team from the auditor-general (AG) briefed the portfolio committee on health yesterday. There were also irregularities in the distribution of PPE; the purchase, distribution and maintenance of ventilation devices; community screening and testing; and the provision of hospital beds through the erection of field hospitals. Deputy business executive within the AG’s office Eugene de Haan said the AG had undertaken a comprehensive, multifaceted and risk-based audit of the key initiatives introduced by government, and the management of the multibillion-rand funds made available. “Our objective with this Covid-19 audit is not to disrupt or stand…

Staff Reporter PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed the decision by the US to support a waiver on certain intellectual property rights provisions covering Covid vaccines. South Africa, with India, submitted a proposal for a Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (Trips) Waiver on October 2 2020. The limited and temporary waiver will provide countries with the policy space necessary to collaborate in manufacturing, scaling up and supplying Covid-19 medical products, which are currently in short supply. Recourse to waivers is provided for in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) legal framework under exceptional circumstances, such as the current global pandemic, and forms part of the WTO legal toolbox. The Department of Trade and Industry said that the Trips Waiver is one critical element in the overall toolbox to further boost…

Mthuthuzeli Ntseku mthuthuzeli.ntseku@inl.co.za UNIONS for domestic workers and other civil society organisations said the deadline for domestic workers to apply for retroactive claims on injuries sustained at work was unreasonably short. The compensation commissioner advertised, in a government gazette, that the cut-off date for the claims was November 20. Domestic workers were included in the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (Coida), from November last year, in a judgment by the Constitutional Court. It also ruled that the order of constitutional validity was to have immediate and retroactive effect from April 27, 1994. Social Economic Rights Institute (Seri) researcher Kelebogile Khunou said the public had not yet been made aware of the opportunity to remedy past injustices against domestic workers who had been injured, or dependants of…

Covid crisis makes it less likely the continent will meet its sustainable development goals By the beginning of May 2021, more than a year after the first person was diagnosed with Covid-19 in Africa, more than 4.5 million cases were diagnosed with over 122 000 deaths recorded. This is a small proportion of the global number of cases (153 187 889) and deaths (3 209 109). These averages hide the variation by country as well as the capacity of countries to test for Covid-19. Notwithstanding these biases, it would appear that countries in Africa with some exceptions have not been severely affected by the pandemic. According to ranking of cases on Worldometer, 11 countries on the continent are ranked in the top 100 on the…

A day after the foreign secretaries of the world’s richest economies met at the G7 summit in London to applaud themselves for the return of international diplomacy, France and Britain find themselves sending armed naval vessels to sea in a spat over shellfish. “We’re ready for war,” blared the Daily Mail tabloid in all caps. Not over cod, certainly? But never underestimate the hot politics of fishing rights. It almost scuttled the Brexit trade deal between Britain and the EU – and the after-effects are still being sorted out. As of yesterday morning, Britain has sent not one but two Royal Navy ships – the HMS Tamar and HMS Severn – to the little island of Jersey in the English Channel. Jersey is a British Crown dependency, although it’s about…

DUBLIN: The Irish government has urged Britain not to seek to shield former soldiers who served in Northern Ireland during the sectarian conflict from prosecution. The British government is set to introduce a ban on prosecutions of its veterans who served in the UK province under new legislation. Dublin had strongly advised London “against any unilateral action on such a sensitive issue”, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday. It would also breach a 2014 agreement between Dublin, London and the parties in Northern Ireland that sought to deal with legacy issues by establishing an independent investigation unit to re-examine all unsolved killings, it added. The UK government said the system was placing a big burden on the justice system. | Reuters…