Innholdsfortegnelse for 2021-09-16 i Cape Argus

SOUTH African consumers have a long history of engaging with ethical purchasing campaigns. Since the early 2000s, organisations such as Proudly South African and Fairtrade have been encouraging us to consider where our products were made, how workers were compensated for their time, and how resources were sourced. Similarly, the growing interest in organic produce and low carbon footprints have made us question the impact of our lifestyle choices on the environment and local communities. As consumers, we are demonstrating our ability to change habits of everyday store and online purchases, and to increasingly illustrate that ethics are an important consideration in our daily purchases. While we are good at thinking about where our physical purchases come from – food, clothing, household goods – we are perhaps less stringent about…

Liam Karabo Joyce After his stint of performing in France over the past two years, South African composer and cellist Dr Thokozani Mhlambi returned to South Africa for a homecoming tour that started in Durban in June. However, the tour had to be put on hold as lockdown restrictions tightened in the third wave of Covid-19. Now he is ready to take his tour back on the road, with a performance in Cape Town on Saturday that will see him presenting his new material created in Paris, as well as some of the favourites from his debut album. “I’m really excited because the Baxter Theatre has established a garden venue, which is in keeping with the times, in terms of health protocols. Performing in an outdoor setting has a different…

Some of top spy bosses ‘without security clearance’ Mayibongwe Maqhina THE Parliamentary committee that plays an oversight function over the country’s spying agencies has found that some generals and top managers of the intelligence services were allegedly without security clearances. This happened because there were still backlogs in the vetting at virtually all of the spying agencies. The joint standing committee on intelligence (JSCI) made the finding in its latest annual report of the joint committee, which consists of parliamentarians from both houses. The report was compiled after reports were received from the State Security Agency, SAPS crime intelligence, the judge designate for communications and the inspector-general of intelligence. It said that vetting and human resource challenges were identified when the annual reports of the State Security Agency (SSA), military…

Adiel Ismail | Mountview Friday will be the second anniversary of the death of my eldest daughter, Nabeelah. She was diagnosed with leukaemia seven months before her death. Leukaemia is most probably the most dreadful of all cancers. In all other cancers, the cancerous cells can be excised. But not in the case of leukaemia. A leukaemia sufferer’s only hope is a bone marrow transplant. For this, the potential donor’s bone marrow must match that of the patient perfectly. Often no matches are found, which results in certain death. My daughter was fortunate with a search on the global donor registry producing 20 matches, with the top few being perfect matches. The national bone marrow registry proceeded, but the top two matches were found in Israel and were…

Kristin Engel kristin.engel@inl.co.za THE Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) responded to concerns from various environmental groups on the country’s stance on the proposed global plastic treaty, their considering of importing more plastic waste, and the effectiveness of their current systems in reducing plastic waste. DA parliamentary spokesperson for environment, forestry and fisheries Dave Bryant said it was vital to establish the facts after a leaked document suggested that the national DFFE would not support the proposed global treaty on reducing plastic pollution and that they were investigating the importation of plastic waste from other countries. Responding, DFFE Minister Barbara Creecy said they had been participating in the UN Environment Assembly’s Ad Hoc Open-Ended Expert Group on Marine Litter and Microplastics, where the treaty was considered. “SA has…

Nomalanga Tshuma nomalanga.tshuma@inl.co.za Non-government organisation 1000 Women Trust in partnership with the Ruben Richards Foundation, are currently running an active anti-gender based-violence campaign in the Matzikama and Cederberg municipalities. The organisations also collaborated with the Department of Social Development to launch the initiative in hopes to engage both elderly men and young boys through a social mobilisation campaign that would work to confront and engage men on how they can actively prevent the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) and rape culture. 1000 Women Trust, founder Tina Thiart said that the organisations had decided to run the project in communities between Matzikama and Cederberg municipalities because they were looking to engage men in various areas as part of their drive to campaign across the country. She said: “We recently launched a…

THE US will make only a small portion of military aid to Egypt conditional on human rights, the US State Department said this week, an amount well below the level required by US law. The law stipulates that $300 million a year in security assistance be disbursed only if Cairo meets a number of human rights criteria. However, the US will make available $300m for border security, non-proliferation and counter-terrorism. $170m will be released without conditions, and $130m if Egypt addresses human rights issues. | AFP…

As US White House officials rushed to shape last week’s sweeping new vaccine mandates, they debated the idea of requiring international air travellers to be vaccinated before boarding a plane, as part of a larger effort to persuade more Americans to get immunised, according to two people familiar with the plans. Some aides argued that other countries already require vaccinations to fly and that the US should join their ranks, according to an administration official. But others said mandates work best when they require people to prove they are immunised only once, like at work, rather than repeatedly, like every time they board a plane. The idea was shelved, but top White House officials say that proposal and similar ones are still under consideration – including, potentially, a broader vaccine…

THE United States Soccer Federation said on Tuesday it had offered “identical” contracts to its men’s and women’s national teams as part of efforts to end a long-running gender pay dispute. A statement from the USSF said the proposed contracts had been sent to the players’ associations acting on behalf of the men’s and women’s teams, with the goal being to bring both national squads under a single collective bargaining agreement. “US Soccer firmly believes that the best path forward for all involved, and for the future of the sport in the US, is a single pay structure for both senior national teams,” the USSF said in a statement. “This proposal will ensure that USWNT and USMNT players remain among the highest paid senior national team players in the world,…

Fielding The improvements seen in the Caribbean still need to be upgraded, but more important is the need for consistency. Mistakes will happen in the field, but what the Proteas need to do is limit them. Back-to-back misfields that turned singles into boundaries, as happened at the start of the fifth over in the last match, illustrate bad discipline. Players and coaches have talked of the need to polish up in that area, and the ICC T20 World Cup next month will be the ultimate testing area to see if that occurs. Rabada had two good performances on the tour – in the second one-day international and the second T20 – otherwise he was inconsistent, his rhythm didn’t look good and his energy appeared to be lacking. How much of…

Given Majola given.majola@inl.co.za IN JULY, the Covid-19 Loan Guarantee Scheme, which was supposed to provide financial relief to businesses, came to an end. But how successful was it? In a recent parliamentary response to questions session, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the scheme had been disappointing. The scheme was intended to provide loans, substantially guaranteed by the government, to eligible businesses that were in good standing with their banks at the end of December 2019, registered with SA Revenue Service and financially distressed as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdowns. Funds borrowed from this scheme, through the banking industry, could be used for operational expenses, such as salaries, rent and lease agreements and contracts with suppliers. The loans were granted at a preferential rate (prime) and repayment…

Marchelle Abrahams marchelle.abrahams@inl.co.za “There’s no room to rationalise abusive behaviour,” says Shana Fife, the author of Ougat: From a Hoe into a housewife and then some when I ask her why decided to write a memoir about her life. Most will know her for her outspoken and unapologetic blog by the same name (justahoewithbabies). She’s amassed thousands of friends and followers on Facebook because of her authentic, no-holds-barred take on life. At times, she also shared her deepest, most irrational fears, speaking about the abuse she suffered at the hands of her ex-boyfriend. I didn’t know this when I interviewed her in 2018. Our conversation barely touched the surface of a woman forever tainted by a man’s anger and violence. One quote that stood out for me was when she…

Saga set to impact party’s election campaign Tarryn-Leigh Solomons and Ntombi Nkosi The ANC’s salary woes have continued to be a thorny issue for the party. ANC Western Cape convenor Lerumo Kalako said yesterday that the non-payment of salaries affected the confidence staff members had in the party and this had a direct impact on campaigning, which in turn could also affect voting numbers. The party’s staff representative Mvusi Mdala told Independent Media it would be impossible for employees to assist with groundwork if their basic salary needs were not met. In essence, this means ANC staff have refused to participate in any campaigning activity in the run-up to the November 1 local government elections. Nationally, about 247 staff members are affected. Mdala said that in the Western Cape, 14…

FORMER Security Branch (SB) police officer Mohun Gopal has told the reopened inquest into the death of Dr Hoosen Haffejee that officers at the Brighton Beach police station colluded with high-ranking SB officers to hide the extent of Haffejee’s injuries when he was booked into his cell. This comes as Gopal revealed to the inquest’s chairperson, Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Zaba Nkosi, that when he left the police station, on the evening of August 2, 1977, before midnight, Haffejee did not have any injuries on his arms. Gopal was surprised on Tuesday when shown a photograph of Haffejee wearing a long-sleeved chequered shirt, stating that when he left the station, the 26-year-old Pietermaritzburg dentistwas wearing a short-sleeved safari suit and that the long sleeves could have been to hide the…

I ATTENDED a meeting of parents, teachers, non-teaching staff and students recently. The matter discussed was education. A debate ensued between two learners because the topic of the online virtual high school of UCT set to start in January 2021 was raised. The learners were not aware of all the implications attached to the UCT online school but an interesting debate ensued between the two. One firmly believed that for students to excel in school the teacher is absolutely essential in the classroom. The other said everything today involves on-line learning. She said companies that provide work expected workers to be able to adapt to technology. To her the world was turning to online learning and therefore at school learners should be introduced to online learning. This led to a…

Ebrahim Essa | Durban AGAIN there have been varying views on the phenomenal vaccine. More than enough to further confuse this most confounding “thingee” (note I haven't used any “controversial” term like “virus”, “epidemic” or “pandemic”). That just made my beloved brother-in-law vanish from this earthly abode merely two weeks ago. He just happened to drop his guard and possibly allowed that dreadful “thingee” to infiltrate his alveoli and clog his lungs. In a desperate bid to reduce the speed at which this evil “spirit” is annihilating mankind, the usual vested interests (aka the Pharmaceutical Boys) work round the clock to rig up an antidote. That’s what these institutions do. They did not invent sunburn so they could counteract it by producing sunburn cream. Similarly, what came first,…

Mthuthuzeli Ntseku mthuthuzeli.ntseku@inl.co.za FEMALE informal traders suffer a great deal of gender-based violence (GBV)and harassment from law enforcement members and criminals that have infiltrated the sector – harassment they say goes unpunished. This was one of the concerns raised by Manenberg Business Forum chairperson and informal trader Shamielah Edwards during an SA Traders Alliance (Saita) discussion on GBV in the informal trading sector yesterday. Saita communications manager Louise Silver said GBV was a widespread problem in South Africa. “We know that it is systemic and deeply entrenched and has almost become an institution and a culture and a tradition in the country,” she said. Community activist Wilhelmina van Dyk said solutions that were out there were either academic or they only focused on particular areas and groups that were being…

South Africa has formally nominated and lodged papers for Professor Mthunzi Perry-Mason Mdwaba to run as the next director-general of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). According to a statement issued by the Department of Employment and Labour, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of South Africa to the UN in Geneva and Other International Organisations Mxolisi Nkosi lodged the papers nominating the adjunct associate professor of law at UWC as the next ILO head endorsed by the SADC Tripartite and also by the AU. The election of the new director-general will be held in March in Geneva, Switzerland. Mdwaba has expressed his commitment to the ILO ideals of decent work and dignity and to strengthening tripartism. “It is my expressed desire to contribute to building an ILO that systematically demonstrates it cares…

Britain’s annual inflation rate rose by 3.2%, the biggest rise since 2012 and a sign that food, petrol and energy prices are in danger of overheating the economy. The Office for National Statistics said consumer prices were up by 2% since July. Higher oil prices, shipping problems and shortages of components for cars and other goods have contributed to rising inflation in many countries. The Bank of England predicts inflation will hit 4% later this year and is blaming higher energy prices and bottlenecks. | Sputnik…

Marchelle Abrahams marchelle.abrahams@inl.co.za If your child were to choose between a big, juicy burger and a sweet, wholesome banana, which one would they pick? We’re guessing the first one. Who can resist the lure of biting into a delicious burger patty between a soft sesame seed bun? But what if you were to ask which of the two is the healthier choice? Your bet would be on the banana, right? Their answer may surprise you because, according to the annual State of Nutrition in South Africa 2021 report, about 38% of South African parents believe their children do not have a good understanding of the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods. The report, commissioned by Tiger Brands’ Eat Well Live Well Institute, delved into better understanding South Africans with regards…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za THE distraught family of a 21-year-old student from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) have been searching Camps Bay Beach for the young man, who went missing last Thursday. Sfundo Ndumela, 21, a second year paralegal student, who stayed at the South Point Orchards student residence, went to the beach with friends. His uncle, Sakhele Ndumela said Sfundo’s father, who flew back to Gauteng on Tuesday, has been in Cape Town since his son went missing. He said all the family wanted was closure, and was hoping for the safe return of their son. CPUT spokesperson Lauren Kansley said students and staff members have been consoling the family and have also visited Camps Bay beach for prayer vigils and assisted with transport for the family members.…

Mthuthuzeli Ntseku mthuthuzeli.ntseku@inl.co.za THE Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CTPO) honoured front-line health-care workers through a concert outside Groote Schuur Hospital yesterday. The concert, dubbed the Gratitude Concert, is the first of its kind in the world. It was the idea of Hospital Heroes to show recognition and appreciation to the health-care workers. Thousands of them streamed it live during their lunch hour. CTPO chief executive Louis Heyneman said it was also the orchestra’s first performance in front of a live audience since the lockdown. “We wanted to tell them that they are heard and seen, and we honour, admire and thank them for the selfless work they have been doing. The trauma of going through day after day of keeping us safe while we had no idea what kind of…

THE standing committee on human settlements met virtually to discuss communication strategies for the District Six Land Restitution public participation process. Chairperson Matlhodi Maseko said the legislature had resolved to hear directly from beneficiaries, with the aim of yesterday’s meeting to find the best approach. Matlhodi said she received communication from seniors asking for some indication with regard to the restitution, stating that their only wish was to return to District Six before their deaths. The District Six community would be able to share their experiences and any issues related to the restitution process. Once the committee has received all public submissions, their issues will be raised with the national Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development responsible for the construction and claims of beneficiaries. Maseko said: “We have…

Zintle Mahlati zintle.mahlati@inl.co.za An official who was in charge of overseeing the relocation of hundreds of psychiatric patients from Life Esidimeni to NGOs has detailed the pressure he was under to meet the deadlines. Levy Mosenogi appeared at the Life Esidimeni inquest yesterday. He was in charge of the project which saw patients being moved from Life Esidimeni in 2016. This was after the Gauteng Department of Health decided to terminate an over 30-year-old contract with the Esidimeni group. Patients were transferred to various NGOs around Gauteng. A total of 144 patients died shortly after the move. The inquest, which is being heard virtually by the High Court in Pretoria, is investigating whether anyone should be held criminally liable for the deaths. Mosenogi explained that he took charge as the…

It CAME with a jar of healthy- looking red wrigglers and an instruction pamphlet. Friends tended to be less than enthusiastic when I took them on conducted tours of the farm. Nobody praised the fine physique of my stud worms or patted their little heads. “Yuck,” they muttered through curled lips and backed away. In the intervening years my worm herd has grown and multiplied and must now weigh at least a kilo, all combined. They consume all my kitchen peels and scrapings (no citrus, please, the acid hurts their little tummies) and produce a steady supply of rich compost and what we politely call worm tea. The produce gets incorporated in the garden beds and produces the most luxurious weed crop in the neighbourhood. I recently discovered that I’m…

MATRIC pupils eligible to vote in the local government elections are now able to cast their ballots, after the 2021 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations were brought forward to accommodate the elections. The Department of Basic Education yesterday announced that the NSC examination would now start on October 27, and not on November 1, as initially scheduled. DBE spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said the changes were necessitated by the local government elections. Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma announced last week that the local government elections would take place on November 1. “Learners eligible to vote would now be able to cast their ballots,” Mhlanga said. The Council of Educations Ministers (CEM) held a special meeting where the decision was taken earlier yesterday. The CEM meeting…

THE popularity of the ANC, which has governed South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994, has slipped in successive elections from its high of more than 60%. First, it declined to under 60%, then to below 50% in the cities of Tshwane, Joburg, and Nelson Mandela Bay in 2016. The DA, the official opposition, shows no sign of benefiting from the ANC’s slack – hardly reaching even 30% of the votes cast. Instead, the ANC’s numbers have been absorbed by small, mostly new parties. South Africa is in for many decades of coalitions. This is the central theme of a new book, Marriages of Inconvenience: The Politics of Coalitions in South Africa, which takes a forward-looking view of the country politics but also a historical one. Political scientist…

Allies of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny urged Russians yesterday to vote for the Communist Party at a parliamentary election this week, part of a tactical voting campaign to hurt the ruling United Russia party. Navalny’s campaign is designed to consolidate the votes of those who oppose United Russia, which holds three-quarters of the seats in the lower house of parliament and dominates political life. The initiative is one of the few levers left for Navalny, who is in prison for alleged parole violations. | Reuters…

THE Proteas used the defeat in the final ODI against Sri Lanka as fuel to power their way to a clean sweep in the subsequent T20 International series, further lifting their confidence ahead of the T20 World Cup next month. Stand-in skipper Keshav Maharaj, who led superbly over the course of five matches in Sri Lanka, described that defeat as “a bitter pill to swallow”. South Africa had restricted Sri Lanka to 203/9, but then collapsed to 125 all out in the run chase. “It was a collective effort, the wounds of losing that series in the third ODI has filtered out into good performances in this T20 series,” said Maharaj. Even as the Proteas lost that series, Maharaj’s use of spinners and his tactical nous in the field…