Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-12-03 i Cape Times

The National Treasury, following consultations with the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government, said on Tuesday it will make up to R2.2 billion available to enable the repayment of depositors of Ithala. The payout process will start on December 8, 2025. Depositors will first need to be verified to ensure payments go to the correct recipients. Once verified, payments will be processed within approximately two days. More than 250 000 Ithala Bank customers have been in limbo since 2023, when the South African Reserve Bank’s Prudential Authority (PA) took control and froze all the bank accounts. The PA declared the bank insolvent and applied for a provisional liquidation. First National Bank (FNB) has been appointed as the payout bank for Ithala depositors and will facilitate access to their funds. This arrangement is intended…

Damning audit by Auditor General reveals profound shortcomings across 59 municipalities More than 20% of South Africa's 257 municipalities spent around R2.32 billion on water tankering services in the 2023/24 financial year, with R420 million of that classified as irregular expenditure. A damning audit conducted by the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) has revealed profound shortcomings in the management of the country’s water resources across 59 municipalities. The AGSA's Water Sector Report outlines a grim picture for Water Service Authorities (WSAs), who reported an astounding R14.89bn in water losses for the 2023-2024 year, attributed largely to inadequate maintenance of infrastructure. Briefing Parliament on Tuesday, AGSA officials warned of a steady deterioration in wastewater treatment, driven by poor water management and weak demand management systems. They reported that 90% of…

South Africa has now concluded its tenure as Chair of the G20, an extraordinary opportunity for a country that often sits at the intersection of global economic ambition and the lived realities of a developing agricultural sector. As the chairship winds down, one thing is clear: South Africa did not simply occupy the position; it shaped it. At a time when global food systems are strained by climate pressures, geopolitical conflict, erratic markets, and the lingering aftershocks of economic instability, South Africa’s leadership managed to push agriculture higher up the G20 agenda than it has been in years. And it did so with a deliberate focus on the Global South, reframing long-standing questions around food security, climate-smart farming, and inclusive growth. As we reflect on what this means for the…

At the conclusion of the 30th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30) , when I ultimately bid farewell to the City of Belem, I felt a sense of relief and hope. A sense underwritten by the promise of what we had achieved from the negotiations and the conference - an outcome which signalled a commitment to action in the face of escalating climate crisis. Just as the news broke that the Brazilian presidency had released a final package coined as “global mutirão” – a name meaning “collective efforts”, after an all night negotiations in city of Belem, I thought “maybe, the Amazon never sleeps”. The Brazilian Presidency’s’ compact was an earnest attempt to pull together nations on controversial issues that had…

The Competition Tribunal has approved a major manganese-sector merger that will see ManganExx, a newly created subsidiary of Exxaro Resources, acquire significant mining and marketing interests from Ntsimbintle Holdings and its partners. Earlier this year, Exxaro diversified its portfolio, sinking up to R14 billion into the acquisition of manganese assets in the Northern Cape. The approval is subject to information-exchange conditions designed to safeguard competition in the market. Under the transaction, ManganExx will acquire: • Ntsimbintle Mining from Ntsimbintle Holdings and OMH (Mauritius) Corp; • Ntsimbintle Marketing and Trading, the Singapore-based global marketing arm, from Ntsimbintle Holdings; and • A shareholding in Mokala Manganese from Ntsimbintle Holdings. Once implemented, the transaction will place all target firms under the control of ManganExx, strengthening Exxaro’s footprint in the manganese sector. Exxaro, listed…

Shaftesbury Capital has gone through another period of positive performance with its London West End portfolio seeing high occupancy, footfall and sales volumes, chief executive Ian Hawksworth said Tuesday. He said in a trading update for the period July 1 to October 31, 2025, that 367 transactions have been completed year-to-date, well ahead of ERV (estimated rental value) and previous passing rents. On the JSE in the afternoon, the share price was 0.49% lower at R32.22 - the price traded at R31.37 a year before. "As customers continue to prioritise the highest quality locations, enduring demand for our exceptional portfolio together with strong performance and a healthy leasing pipeline give us confidence in our medium-term targets," he said. The 367 leasing transactions representing £30.2 million of new contracted rent in…

GAUTENG High Court, Pretoria Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng appears to be the primary target of an alleged plot to assassinate key role players in the Senzo Meyiwa trial. A group of men were yesterday taken in for questioning after police learned of the alleged plot, with National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe saying a case of conspiracy to commit murder had been registered and under investigation in relation to the trial. She said police received concrete intelligence indicating that these individuals were allegedly scouting for opportunities to eliminate key figures in the trial. “The SAPS has taken a group of individuals who attended proceedings this morning for further questioning and profiling,” said Mathe. While the Judge could be among the primary targets, Mathe confirmed that security has been heightened and…

POLICE Minister Senzo Mchunu appeared to be shifting the blame to National SAPS Commissioner General Fannie Masemola for his controversial decision to discontinue the the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT). He claimed the decision would have not been necessary if Masemola had approved the new organisational structure based on the 2019 work study, which would have resulted in the PKTT being dismantled in March 2024. His decision to write a letter dated December 31, 2024, ordering the disbandment of the PKTT, has come under criticism from KwaZulu-Natal SAPS Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who testified at the commission on September 17. The letter in question stated that the task team was not adding value to the policing work. According to Mkhwanazi, Mchunu’s conclusion that the team does not add any…

A TOTAL of 7 294 unqualified Grade R practitioners are currently employed in public schools across the country, and only 2121 are eligible for qualification Upgrades, says the Department of Basic Education. These practitioners do not possess the minimum National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 6 qualification required to teach at this level. The figures were presented to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education yesterday during a briefing on the status of regulations to the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act as they relate to Grade R admissions. The briefing also included updates on Sections 4 and 5 of the Children’s Amendment Bill of 2025. In August, Basic Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarube, gazetted the first two sets of regulations under the BELA Act, 2024, for public comment. Chief Director for the…

The Western Cape High Court was told yesterday that the City possesses broad powers, with no restrictions on the impositions it can make. The court heard arguments concerning the City's fixed tariffs and its decision to link certain fixed charges to property values. Judge President Nolwazi Mabindla-Boqwana, as well as presiding judges Judge Andre Le Grange and Judge Katharine Savage, heard arguments from the South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA), AfriForum, and the City. In its court application, SAPOA is asking for the three tariffs in the budget, namely the Cleaning Tariff, the Fixed Water Charge, and the Fixed Sanitation Charge be declared unconstitutional and invalid. SAPOA’s membership currently comprises more than 90% of the country’s commercial and retail property industry, including some of the largest property-owning companies in South…

The year 2025 was one of contrasts for South African athletics. While several individuals delivered standout performances, Team SA once again struggled on the world stage. A contingent of 49 athletes tried to end an eight-year medal drought at the World Championships in Tokyo but returned with just one medal – the 4x400m relay bronze – underscoring the ongoing challenges of aligning the domestic season with the global calendar. For athletes like Bayanda Walaza, the year ended in heartbreak as injury robbed the young sprint sensation of a realistic medal chance. Simbine: Early-season spark The year began brightly with encouraging signs from South Africa’s sprint king, Akani Simbine, who won bronze in the men’s 60m final at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing on March 21. His fine early-season…

The Competition Commission has referred a complaint against eight cargo shipping companies to the Competition Tribunal for prosecution for alleged price fixing. The eight cargo shipping companies, respondents, are Maersk South Africa, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), CMA CGM Shipping Agencies South Africa, Pacific International Lines South Africa, Mitsui O.S.K Lines South Africa, Evergreen Agency South Africa, COSCO Shipping Lines South Africa, and K Line Shipping South Africa. The Commission said in a statement on Tuesday that the respondents are global container shipping liners involved in shipping cargo for import and export purposes across the globe, including South Africa. They are alleged to have engaged in the fixing of the rates called General Rate Increase (GRI) charged to customers for the shipment of general cargo enroute from South Africa to Asia…

In a resounding testament to the growing dominance of digital commerce, Peach Payments announced a staggering 93% uplift in sales processed during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend compared to 2024. The South African payments platform reported that over four days, it handled more than 2.69 million transactions totalling a remarkable R1.86 billion. Chief Executive Officer and cofounder Rahul Jain shared that the most significant individual transaction during this weekend was an impressive R1.09 million deal in the Travel & Accommodation sector. This highlights not only consumer confidence but also the increasing reliance on online transactions in various sectors. The Retail sector was a notable success story, boasting a remarkable 154% increase in its share of online sales compared to last year. This surge reflects a broader consumer trend…

If you have driven through the Eastern, Western or Northern Cape recently, you may have seen convoys of trucks transporting massive wind turbine blades. They are difficult to miss; long, narrow and striking against the red Karoo dust. For many, these vehicles are just another road delay. For us, they are a signal that the centre of gravity in South Africa’s energy system is shifting. Wind energy is scaling up. Quietly, consistently and with far less fanfare than solar, it is becoming the most important contributor to our future electricity mix. Based on the 2025 Integrated Resource Plan, South Africa’s installed wind capacity is anticipated to grow from around 4 gigawatts today to 34 gigawatts by 2039. That is almost nine times increase over the next 14 years, which compared…

Araxi Limited (previously Capital Appreciation) attracted new clients, secured long term contracts, diversified revenue sources and increased market share in the six months to September 30.The JSE-listed company delivered a resilient performance amid ongoing low business confidence and sluggish economic growth.CEO Bradley Sacks said a "very healthy underlying performance" was masked by prior-period restatements, that increased prior-year headline earnings per share (HEPS) by 29%. Current year profitability, with HEPS at 7.82 cents, nevertheless kept pace, and exceeded this growth, he said in an interview. The interim dividend was held steady at 4.5 cents a share. This strong performance was evidenced by normalised EPS, which removes the largest once-off restatement, as well as one-time restructuring costs in Software, and indicates underlying EPS and HEPS increased by 59% and 58%, respectively. Asked…

FORMER Ekurhuleni municipal manager Dr Imogen Mashazi is prepared to accept responsibility for the potentially irregular appointment of Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi as deputy chief of the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD). Mashazi conceded when testifying before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, investigating political interference in the criminal justice system. Her testimony followed suspended Police Chief Isaac Mapiyeye’s recent allegations that Mkhwanazi’s appointment was irregular, as the interview process lacked a competency assessment report. Mapiyeye, as the chief of police and chair of the interview panel, testified that the panel was not reconvened to consider Mkhwanazi’s competency assessment report, leaving the interview process incomplete. Mkhwanazi, who is currently suspended, was previously appointed as acting police chief by Mashazi. Mkhwanazi has been accused of facilitating unauthorised memorandums of understanding with CAT…

HAVING assumed the G20 Presidency last week, the US hinted at intensifying its hostilities towards South Africa by cleaning the website of the previous summit host country, which Donald Trump has excluded from next year’s forum. In the statement on Monday, the US said under Donald Trump’s leadership, the country will return the G20 to focusing on its core mission of driving economic growth and prosperity to produce results. “As we usher in these much-needed reforms, we will prioritise three core themes: unleashing economic prosperity by limiting regulatory burdens, unlocking affordable and secure energy supply chains, and pioneering new technologies and innovations,” read the statement. Trump ordered the US to boycott the G20 Summit in South Africa over his widely discredited claims that white Afrikaners were being persecuted.…

South Africa’s economy could still grow less than 1% this year despite optimism for a slight upsurge after gross domestic product (GDP) posted its fourth straight gain in the three months to September. Data released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) shows that real GDP grew by 0.5% in the third quarter, slower than the revised 0.9% growth in the second quarter. Stats SA’s chief director for national accounts, Dr Bokang Vumbukani-Lepolesa, said the expansion was quite broad-based, with nine over 10 industries growing during this period. “The trade, mining and finance industries as well as government services were the most significant positive contributors to overall growth. Trade increased by 1% with positive gains in wholesale, retail, motor trade, accommodation and food and beverages,” she said. “Mining output increased by…

A new feasibility study has found that the South Africa–Europe iron ore shipping corridor could begin operating ammonia-fueled bulk carriers as early as 2029, positioning Saldanha Bay as a future global hub for green maritime fuels. The analysis, released by the Global Maritime Forum (GMF) and conducted with a consortium of partners including Anglo American, CMB.TECH, Freeport Saldanha, VUKA Marine and ENGIE, concludes that the route linking Saldanha Bay to the Port of Rotterdam could reach full decarbonisation by 2035. If realised, it would be one of the world’s first major green shipping corridors connecting the Global South to the Global North. Saldanha Bay, home to South Africa’s primary iron-ore export terminal, already has plans under way to develop green ammonia production and expand port infrastructure to handle bunkering operations.…

South Africa’s chrome mining sector has pushed back against government plans to impose a tax on chrome ore exports, arguing that the decline of the domestic ferrochrome industry is the result of crippling electricity tariffs rather than ore availability or pricing. The Glencore-Merafe JV ferrochrome smelter has started retrenchments while Samancor Chrome could also close down. The Minerals Council South Africa says high power prices, combined with logistical inefficiencies at ports and rail, have left smelters uncompetitive, even though transport conditions have marginally improved in recent months. Chrome miners face a government tax on chrome ore exports. In October, Cabinet made decisions aimed at reviving South Africa’s chrome industry and invited comments for on a proposal to “place chrome ore under export control by the International Trade Administration Commission” of…

The South African electricity sector has been exceptionally active during the final quarter of 2025. On 27 November, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) approved the Market Operator Licence submitted by the National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA). This approval is a key step toward the establishment of a competitive electricity market and marks a shift from planning to implementation. Nersa has also approved the creation of the Electricity Market Advisory Forum (EMAF), a body tasked with guiding the rollout of the competitive market framework. EMAF will advise the regulator on the finalisation and implementation of the Market Rules and the Market Code. Its formation signals the beginning of structured oversight for market design, something long overdue. Earlier in the month Nersa approved the Grid Capacity Allocation…

ANC NEC members and deputy ministers Mondli Gungubele and Dr. Joe Phaahla, have distanced themselves from the alleged plot to overthrow ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa. Both members issued separate statements on Monday evening in response to reports of an alleged plot by some “disgruntled” ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) members to remove Ramaphosa, just days before the party's National General Council (NGC) meeting. The NGC is scheduled for next Monday, December 8-12, at the Birchwood Hotel. Three key ANC structures —the Youth, Women's, and Veterans' Leagues — each released statements publicly backing Ramaphosa's leadership amid the circulating rumours of his removal. Gungubele dismissed the allegations on his X account, stating: “A suggestion that I am part of a movement to remove the current president of the ANC…

Stellenbosch FC, buoyed by their recent resurgence and a noticeable shift in momentum, will have another chance to build on their revival in the Betway Premiership when they welcome Polokwane City to the Athlone Stadium tonight (7:30pm kick-off). For a team widely applauded for their progress in recent seasons, both Stellies and head coach Steve Barker have seen their resolve tested from the outset of the current campaign. They have spent much of it navigating deep and difficult waters, yet they appear to have just enough left in reserve to mount a genuine attempt to stay afloat and claw their way back into a competitive position. Their 2-0 defeat to Kaizer Chiefs on the opening day may initially have been viewed as a forgivable early stumble, but in hindsight it…