Innholdsfortegnelse for 2021-10-27 i Cape Argus

Growth in agricultural exports could slow down as a new set of regulations, part of the EU Green Deal's Farm-to-Fork Strategy, is implemented next year, says the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz). According to Agbiz chief economist Wandile Sihlobo, the strategy would come with an additional layer of regulations which have implications on South Africa. “As a background, the Sacu (Southern African Customs Union) and Mozambique-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) of 2016 enhanced market access benefits for South Africa. These included fully or partially removed customs duties on 98.7 percent of exports, expansion of tariff rate quotas on key agricultural exports, and a more implementable agricultural safeguard mechanism, among others. Since the implementation of the agreement in October 2016, South Africa's exports to the EU have increased by 25 percent,…

Karen Singh karen.singh@inl.co.za | THE MERCURY KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane has dismissed the rumours that the Covid-19 vaccine turns people into blood-thirsty cannibals. Speaking during the Isibhedlela Kubantu mobile community outreach programme at Magabheni Sports Ground near Umkomaas earlier today, Simelane said she herself was living proof that the vaccine was safe for use. “As I stand before you, I’ve never had the urge to eat anyone, and it will never happen. So, what people are saying about the vaccine making people want to eat others … of being part of 5G technology, or linked to the work of the devil, is all nothing but a myth. It is not true,” she said. The department said more than 3 233 million people had been vaccinated in the province.…

Mthuthuzeli Ntseku mthuthuzeli.ntseku@inl.co.za ICOSA ward 19 and mayoral candidate for Stellenbosch Municipality Bianca Booysen said blatant marginalisation, inequality and her belief that people deserved better motivated her to contest the local elections. Booysen said that she comes from a long line of activists and that inspired an activism centred on service delivery in communities. “Inequities in our economy are still prevalent and for this I want to advocate on behalf of minorities, like in the rural parts of Stellenbosch, that do not have a voice. Issues that our people grapple with on a daily basis and need urgent intervention include poverty alleviation, land and housing, combating gender-based violence, educating our people about politics and their basic human rights, and unemployment. “This, in my immediate area and the rest of…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za A NEW survey has found that during the Covid-19 pandemic, 21% of South Africans went on prescription medication to help with stress and anxiety over money issues. Some of the key findings from the survey showed that 57% of participants cited financial stress as having a huge effect on mental wellbeing. This was followed by 44% that worried about their own and their loved ones’ health and 38% that worried about the uncertainty brought about by the pandemic. The survey, conducted among 1200 South Africans on behalf of financial services group Sanlam, found that financial stress hit young people the hardest. Those aged 18 to 24 were most mentally affected by financial stress, and younger women were the hardest hit. It also found that childcare and…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za LAW enforcement officers in the Western Cape are keeping an eye on the national roads after three trucks were hijacked and used to block the N1 to Paarl, on Monday night. Transport and Public Works MEC Daylin Mitchell's spokesperson Ntomboxolo Makoba-Somdaka confirmed the incident. She said the trucks were removed by law enforcement agencies soon after they blocked the road. Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said Kraaifontein police attended to a scene on the N1 on Monday at about 8.35pm. Swartbooi said that according to reports, unknown suspects attempted to hijack a truck, after which they blocked the N1 with the truck, pointing their firearms at the drivers of the trucks. He said the unknown suspects threw the keys of the trucks into the nearby bushes. Three more…

Robin-Lee Francke robin.francke@inl.co.za Groote Schuur Hospital has become the first state hospital in the province to perform microwave ablation, a minimally-invasive treatment to kill tumour cells. Microwave ablation uses ultrasound, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging to guide placement of a needle-like probe into a tumour. It uses microwaves to heat and destroy the tumour. It can also be used in lung cancer cases on primary and secondary tumours of a certain size if patients are unable to undergo surgery. Consultant radiologist Dr Qonite Said-Hartley said the procedure was performed under computed tomography guidance using a microwave ablation machine. She said the patient was given a general anaesthetic. “The lung cancer is located using computed tomography scanning and then a special applicator attached to the microwave machine is inserted into…

Penninah Iutung Amor The novel coronavirus has shown glaring flaws in the world’s collective ability to respond to infectious disease outbreaks, with none more evident than wealthy countries’ self-destructive unwillingness to co-operate on vaccine equity for the benefit of the entire global population. Since the world’s wealthiest countries have been the primary contributors to the great global disparity between the vaccine haves and have-nots – it’s time that African leaders push G20 heads of state to address and rectify the life-threatening vaccine imbalance at the upcoming summit in Rome, Italy at the end of this month. As of early October 2021, 3.6 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses had been administered globally, with 78% of those going to people in high- and upper-middle-income countries. Less than 7% of the 1.3 billion…

Pakistan underlined their credentials as early T20 World Cup favourites when they held their nerve to beat New Zealand by five wickets in Sharjah yesterday and secure a second straight victory. Chasing a modest 135 for victory after pace bowler Haris Rauf choked out New Zealand with four wickets, Pakistan were in trouble at 69/4, but crossed the line in 18.4 overs for a fine start in their bid for a second championship. Mohammad Rizwan top-scored with 33, while Shoaib Malik (26 not out) and Asif Ali (27 not out) guided them home. The Group II contest was played against the backdrop of bad blood between the sides after New Zealand abruptly abandoned their tour of Pakistan last month. But Pakistan, on a high after beating arch rivals India in…

With Covid-19 slowly easing its grip and the country starting to breathe again, the anticipated sigh of relief comes coupled with some challenges for companies to keep up with demand and opportunities for South Africans to get working. An important case illustrating this is the e-hailing and food delivery services such as Uber and Mr Delivery, which are now engaged in a massive recruitment and expansion drive, both trying to make up for lost time and keep up with the surging demand. Uber, Didi, Uber Eats and Mr delivery are set to grow driver counts by thousands with drivers earning between R10000 and R20 000 per month. However, due to the Covid-19 waves and the subsequent lockdowns, e-hailing and food delivery platforms suffered severe setbacks, leading to a sharp decline…

Gerry Cupido geraldine.cupido@inl.co.za PAPER, scissors and crayons were all I needed to create a wardrobe. As a little girl, I would spend hours making paper dresses for my little cut-out doll I’d get in a special book. Even though she would come with her own fancy dresses that I could simply cut out on use, the best part was making my own 2D outfits for her. Those fragile paper outfits were my prized possession until my Barbie came along. While other girls were quite content to rotate the few outfits that came with their Barbie dolls and happily swapped clothes with their friends, I needed more. My Barbie only wore couture. Gerry couture. My youngest daughter has the same fascination with fashion. However, she doesn’t have to pick up a…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za THE dignity and well-being of citizens across the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape as a whole is a critical plank of the DA’s campaigns in the local government election, Premier Alan Winde said. Winde was speaking in the Bo-Kaap yesterday in support of DA mayoral candidate Geordin Hill-Lewis who was canvassing the neighbourhood for votes. “If we don’t get the dignity and well-being of our citizens right, what kind of life can we have? We have to create dignity in our environment because sometimes it is not always dignified and these are the challenges we have to work with. These are the things that keep us awake at night,” Winde said. He admitted there was still a lot of work to be done…

Jehran Naidoo jehran.naidoo@africannewsagency.com TOYOTA’s new Corolla Cross Hybrid compact SUV model is set to take localisation in the country to new heights as the model has 621 locally sourced parts and includes 56 local suppliers, higher than that of the standard Corolla manufactured in South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa said yesterday. The Corolla Cross, which is set to be the first hybrid vehicle assembled on a South African assembly line, attracted an investment of R2.6 billion and will be exported to around 40 African countries through the African Continental Free Trade Area, solidifying the country’s effort towards building an energy-efficient future. Ramaphosa was speaking during the launch of the Corolla Cross at the Toyota plant in Prospecton, south of the Durban central business district. He was joined by KZN Premier…

MOHAMED SAEED | Pietermaritzburg President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed into effect the Local Government Municipal Structures Amendment Act, which will come into effect from November 1. The act aims to strengthen governance in South Africa’s municipalities through a minimum councillor requirement, and the introduction of a specialised code of conduct. Once again, it is municipal election time and voters face the task of choosing their ward councillor or representative. Making an educated choice between candidates requires thorough knowledge about the different candidates. Remember, it is not only about a party – a voter should consider the candidate’s credentials, academic and community standing, service to the community, understanding of local government policies and by-laws, and have appropriate qualifications and training, including leadership-related and governance knowledge. Even character and temper…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za MATRICS across the country will, today, sit down to write the most important exams of their school career. They are expected to write English home language, English first additional language, and English second additional language. This morning, 63 202 learners will write. A few of them started last week with other subjects, including IT. Education MEC Debbie Schäfer sent her wishes to them yesterday. “Very, very good luck to every one of our matrics for your last school exams ever. You have come this far,” she said. Schäfer said it had been a difficult time for them, but they had a whole province rooting for them. She said she knew they were up to the challenge and were looking forward to celebrating their results in January. “I…

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been given a chance to turn things around at the club and sort out the aftermath of Sunday’s 5-0 Premier League hammering at home to Liverpool. Despite speculation that he was set to be replaced after nearly three years in the position, Solskjaer remains in his post, and multiple sources have said that he will be in charge for Saturday’s game against Tottenham Hotspur. United’s players and staff were due back at their Carrington training ground yesterday, as the Norwegian manager begins the task of dealing with the shocking performance against Liverpool and getting ready for Saturday’s trip to Tottenham. After the trip to Spurs, United travel to Italy to face Serie A side Atalanta in the Uefa Champions League on Tuesday. United…

WHY WOMEN KILL S2 M-NET CITY, DSTV CHANNEL 115, 9.40PM A gripping season finale. In order to protect her glory, notoriety, and newly glamorous life, Alma concocts a desperate and dramatic scheme after Vern's investigation leads to his new in-laws. THE RED ROOM SABC3, DSTV CHANNEL 193, 7.30PM Boncuk looks worried as she searches for the wise man. She thinks that one of them left her. Boncuk talks about Can and their meeting. Her joy and happiness can be seen in her eyes when she talks about Can. She tells Doctor that Can visited her in İstanbul but she couldn’t meet him as her sister locked the door. THE LAST SAMURAI NETFLIX Captain Nathan Algren is hired to train the Japanese army to fight a Samurai rebellion. However,…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za THE Bellville Commercial Crimes Court has postponed the long-running case of Colin Davids, the pastor accused of running a multimillion-rand Ponzi scheme, to November 29. Davids, of the New Directions Church in Parow, ran a company called Platinum Forex. He appeared in court with co-accused Derek Bredekamp, who was arrested in 2018 by the Hawks for colluding with Davids. Bredekamp worked as Platinum Forex’s marketing manager. NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the two stand charged with 100 counts of fraud, a count of money laundering, a count of Contravention of Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act, and a count of the Contravention of the Banks Act. The case goes back to 2015 when the Western Cape High Court granted the provincial National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit…

Kristin Engel kristin.engel@inl.co.za CHURCH minister, entrepreneur, community activist, train driver specialist and independent candidate councillor Mohau Kgolokwane said fostering social cohesion and building a united community would be his top priorities if he becomes the ward 4 councillor. The ward – which includes Milnerton Central, Phoenix, Joe Slovo, Summer Greens, Royal Ascot, Milnerton Ridge and Sunset Beach – is fraught with problems such as racism in schools, pollution, lack of shelter for the homeless and insufficient established places for informal traders, which Kgolokwane said he aimed to address if elected. Kgolokwane was a trainer at Transnet Freight Rail for 18 years and served as a shop steward of the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union for 10 years while acting as the executive of Phoenix Ratepayers and chairperson of…

Kristin Engel kristin.engel@inl.co.za EXTREME endurance adventurer Gaven Sinclair embarked on a gruelling solo 1 000km running adventure from Gqeberha to Cape Town for the Heel2Heal Challenge to raise awareness and challenge those living with chronic conditions to live better and healthier lives through small steps. The adventure launched BrandMed’s Syntro-P Wellbeing programme, a virtual prescribed health and well- being programme established after research revealed South Africa was one of the unhealthiest countries in the world, with more than 60% of the adult population living with a chronic condition. The programme was targeted at people diagnosed with chronic conditions such as diabetes, eating disorders, heart disease, obesity, asthma, hypertension and many others. Chief executive Riaz Motara said the initiative was aimed at helping South Africans change their behaviour by providing…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za SOUTH Africa captain Temba Bavuma has disclosed that Quinton de Kock’s decision to withdraw from their crucial T20 World Cup match against the West Indies yesterday was only made on the bus en route from Abu Dhabi to the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. De Kock’s withdrawal was due to not wanting to take a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, after Cricket SA issued a directive yesterday morning that the Proteas should take a knee prior to the start of all their remaining matches at the World Cup in the UAE. “The instruction from the board came in the morning, this morning. A meeting was convened between a couple of members, and that’s where that message was passed on to us. Then before, I…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za The empty blue seats staring back at the players inside the Dubai International Stadium provided the soulless backdrop yesterday. The atmosphere was that of a funeral, and after all the drama that had permeated behind closed doors – which ultimately resulted in Quinton de Kock withdrawing from the crucial T20 World Cup clash against the West Indies – it could well be remembered as the death of De Kock’s international career. Cricket South Africa issued a directive yesterday morning that the entire team needed to take a knee in a united and consistent stance against racism for the remainder of the T20 World Cup. The timing of the CSA board directive leaves a lot to be desired, particularly as the Proteas have been grappling with issues surrounding…