Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-12-18 i Cape Times

Although all eyes are now on a ruling in which the US Supreme Court heard arguments over whether to overturn US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, SMEs have already felt severe pain. US media indicate that judges are now debating their decision, having wrapped up arguments last Monday. This will likely be scant relief for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa, given that they lost two-thirds of Black Friday demand as US tariffs hit hard, a new report shows. Over the past few weeks, several major companies – including Costco, Revlon, Bumble Bee Foods, and the producer of Ray-Ban – have joined small businesses in petitioning the US Court of International Trade to secure refunds if the Supreme Court overturns Trump’s tariffs. However, website Politico reported that companies…

JSE-listed miner fails to secure a new power supply deal with the country’s electricity provider Eskom could yet step in to save South32’s Mozal Aluminium smelter in Mozambique from being mothballed, after the JSE-listed miner failed to secure a new power supply agreement with the country’s electricity provider. South32, which also has manganese and aluminium assets in South Africa, controls 63.7% of Mozal Aluminium. The Mozambican operation is of significant interest for South Africa as the Industrial Development Corporation controls 32.4% of the entity while Maputo holds the remaining 3.9%. On Wednesday, South32 said that although it had continued to engage with the Mozambican government, power supplier Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB) and Eskom to seek sufficient and affordable electricity supply for Mozal beyond March 2026, it had not managed…

As we head into 2026 there is a lot of concern about equity market valuations. Comparisons are being drawn with the dotcom bubble of 1999-2000 due to significant investments being made by the hyperscalers into data centres and cloud infrastructure. At the same time many AI start-ups are loss making, with their valuations being boosted by vendor financing. Against this backdrop we’ve heard talk about canaries in coal mines, cockroaches (where one emerges there are usually many) and staying at the party for one last dance. But let’s leave analogies to one side and focus on our options. Firstly, equity valuations are expensive. They have been more expensive in the past and are not at extremes yet, but you could argue for taking some risk off the table. For example,…

Jubilee Metals Group has forecast copper unit production for its full 2026 financial year to be within 4 500 tons to 5 100 tons, depending on the extent of the rainy season, which is more than double the 2 211t produced in the 2025 year. The group that is focused on mining copper in Zambia, and is in the process of disposing of its chrome and platinum interests in South Africa, said Wednesday that earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation fell 7.1% to $27.7 million in the year to June 30, 2025, during a period of significant change as the group transitioned to focus on its copper interests. "The financial year to end-June was one of momentous change. Very soon, the company will become a pure play copper producer,…

ANTI-APARTHEID lawyer Ismail Ayob’s life reflected quiet courage and steadfast commitment to justice, says the ANC in paying tribute to the renowned lawyer who played a pivotal role in representing Nelson Mandela and other Struggle icons. Ayob died at the age of 83 in Johannesburg yesterday. Throughout his distinguished legal career spanning over five decades, Ayob became known as one of the most significant attorneys during South Africa's Struggle against apartheid, serving as Mandela’s personal legal counsel during his imprisonment. He also represented Struggle icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela for many years. During Mandela’s incarceration, Ayob was the only lawyer allowed to visit him at Robben Island. In a statement yesterday, ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu described Ayob as a distinguished legal practitioner and courageous ally of the liberation movement whose work…

SLAIN Warrick "DJ Warras" Stock had apparently been threatened when he intensified his work of recovering hijacked buildings in the Joburg CBD- an issue he also spoke strongly against on various social media platforms in recent months. Stock was shot dead outside Carlton Center in the Johannesburg CBD on Tuesday. Police have since launched a manhunt for three assailants who are still at large. Stock had previously applied for five protection orders against some of the non-paying tenants of the building, according to Public Safety mayco member Dr Mgcini Tshwaku. "DJ Warras was approached by the lawyers who were managing the building on behalf of the owner. The owner saw that the rent had decreased drastically, with only 50% of tenants paying, while the rest were not. They…

The State has alleged that the seven suspects arrested in connection with a planned hit on a witness in a case at the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court are members of the Junky Funky Kidz (JFK), and indicated it will be opposing bail. The suspects, aged between 18 and 64 who may not be named or identified as per a court order, made their first court appearance on Wednesday. They are facing Schedule 6 offences, including charges of being in the possession of three illegal firearms and 140 rounds of ammunition. The State alleges that on December 15 at about 1.30pm, police received information about armed suspects travelling to the court building in a Toyota Quantum. The suspects were believed to be on their way to shoot a person testifying in court.…

Exhibition openings aren’t typically remembered for their speeches. But, at last week’s Steven Cohen: Long Life retrospective exhibition opening at Iziko South African National Gallery (ISANG), the remarks alone were enough to pull everyone to the edge of their seats. Virginia MacKenny, an Associate Professor of Painting at UCT, had just sketched me a quick history of Steven Cohen; including the time, two decades ago, when she gently talked him out of enrolling for a Fine Art degree. “Steven Cohen is a self-taught artist and has already proven themself one of the best performance artists alive! What would a degree do for them?” Our chat was abruptly halted by a request to take our seats. Then we commenced our descent: Bernedette Muthien, of the ISANG Council, expertly walked us through…

Sometimes it takes one decisive leader to make a difference CHURCH bells rang in unison, at midday on Friday, from Cape Town to George, Bloemfontein to Mdantsane, crescendoing in Soweto at Holy Cross Anglican Church right over the iconic Hector Pieterson Memorial site. The church and the memorial site are separated only by a small street as a reminder that wherever there is pain, the church is near to bring a balm of healing, to speak hope in times of doom, to reconcile during times of division, to lift up the heads of those who are bowed down, to speak life when death visits, and to hold up the lamp of God’s word when the truth eludes us. Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA) mobilised more than 700…

Tongaat Hulett's business rescue practitioners won’t be able to avoid paying sugar levies after the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that these payments are a legal requirement. The sugar producer and its property arm voluntarily entered business rescue at the end of 2022, after the board found the companies in financial distress due to a working capital shortfall of around R1.5 billion. Since then, the implementation of the rescue plan has faced several challenges, including missed funding deadlines. Each month, the business rescue practitioners repeat that they believe the company can still be rescued. They say they continue to advance the Amended Business Rescue Plan, which was approved by the required majority of creditors at the end of January 2024. As part of the process, the practitioners tried to pause…

Annual consumer price inflation (CPI) eased slightly to 3.5% in November, down from 3.6% in October, reinforcing expectations that inflation is moving closer to the South African Reserve Bank’s (Sarb) new 3% target and increasing the likelihood of interest rate cuts next year. Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) released the latest data on Wednesday, showing that price pressures continue to moderate, supported by lower fuel prices and a stronger rand. Nicolaas van der Wath, senior economist at the Bureau for Economic Research (BER), said the decline was encouraging. “The 0.1% month-on-month drop is also good news, and inflation is heading in the right direction towards the 3% target announced by the Sarb. We have seen petrol prices remain relatively lower, which has contributed to the drop in inflation,” he said.…

South Africa’s electricity reform programme has reached a point that few would have predicted five years ago. Market rules are being finalised, grid access frameworks have been approved, a market operator has been licensed, the Independent Transmission Programme participation shortlist has been published and new generation continues to connect at pace. From a purely technical perspective, the system is beginning to stabilise. Yet this moment of progress carries a less discussed risk. Electricity reform can succeed on paper and still fail to deliver the economic outcomes the country urgently needs. Availability alone does not guarantee growth. A system can keep the lights on while remaining too expensive, too rigid, or too poorly aligned with industrial demand to support recovery. For more than a decade, South Africa’s electricity debate was dominated…

Bhutan said Wednesday it will invest $1 billion from national cryptocurrency reserves to develop a "Mindfulness City", which it hopes will become an economic hub for the tiny Himalayan nation. Buddhist-majority Bhutan, squeezed between giants India and China, champions a policy of prioritising "Gross National Happiness" over growth. But that has not helped the government deal with widespread unemployment, forcing thousands of young people to leave the country. As part of broader efforts to reverse that trend by soliciting foreign investment, the landlocked kingdom in 2023 announced much-hyped plans for its "Gelephu Mindfulness City" (GMC), a special economic zone close to the Indian border. Carbon-negative Bhutan has also aggressively promoted hydropower projects, earning substantial revenue by exporting electricity to energy-hungry India. At the same time it has utilised the cheap…

Global food prices declined for a third consecutive month in November, driven by lower international prices for most major food commodities, according to the latest Food Price Index released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. FAO said the Food Price Index averaged 125.1 points in November, representing a 1.2% decline from its revised October level. The index now stands 2.1% lower than in November 2024 and is 21.9% below its peak reached in March 2022. The overall decline was led by lower prices for vegetable oils, meat, dairy and sugar, while cereals were the only major category to record an increase during the month. FAO added that the Cereal Price Index increased by 1.3 percent during the month. “Despite a generally comfortable global supply outlook…

School children with a flair for art are uplifting hearts with a donation of their work to Netcare Pinehaven Hospital’s cancer care unit. “My own child had cancer, and I know that the journey can be uncertain and scary at times,” said Elsabe Bell, art teacher at Laerskool Kenmare, who spearheaded the project driven by her personal experience. “My thought was that we can use the children’s art to offer some lasting emotional support for people during their treatment. We chose the theme of bunnies because you can’t help but smile seeing a picture of a bunny wearing a flower crown, or a big boy bunny with a brush in his mouth, as these talented young artists have portrayed them,” Bell said. “Most families have a loved one or close…

SOUTH Africa once again finds itself at a familiar crossroads. Growth versus transformation. Investment versus principle. Urgency versus process. The immediate spark is Elon Musk’s Starlink, along with reports that the government may soften Black Economic Empowerment requirements to fast-track its entry. But this debate is far bigger than satellite internet. It goes to the heart of constitutional governance and asks a simple but uncomfortable question: are our laws binding, or are they negotiable for those with enough power and influence? In a constitutional democracy, ministers do not make or unmake laws. They execute them. Parliament legislates. The executive implements. This separation is not academic theory. It is the guardrail that prevents arbitrary governance. If a minister uses policy discretion to rewrite BEE ownership requirements, that is not flexibility but…

Enzo Maresca said he appreciated the backing of Chelsea’s fans after they sang his name during Tuesday’s 3-1 win at Cardiff in the League Cup quarter-finals. Chelsea moved into the semi-finals thanks to Alejandro Garnacho’s double and a Pedro Neto strike, after David Turnbull had equalised for League One leaders Cardiff. The Blues did not have it all their own way in a hard-fought clash, but reaching a third semi-final in 18 months provided further evidence of Maresca’s impact since he arrived from Leicester in 2024. It was a well-timed victory after Maresca admitted following Saturday’s 2-0 win over Everton that the previous 48 hours had been his worst at Stamford Bridge because he and his team lacked “support” from “many people”. The Italian’s comments had fuelled speculation he was…

Men’s tennis world No 1Carlos Alcaraz announced yesterday that he has split from his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero after seven hugely successful years together, with assistant coach Samuel Lopez set to take over. Alcaraz has won six Grand Slam titles among his 24 tour-level trophies under the guidance of fellow Spaniard Ferrero, including this year’s French Open and US Open. The 22-year-old ends the season as world No 1 after claiming eight tournaments in 2025, highlighted by his dramatic victory over Jannik Sinner in Paris. “It is very difficult to write this post,” Alcaraz said, on social media, alongside photos of the pair embracing. “After more than seven years together, ‘Juanki’ and I have decided to end our story together as coach and player. Thank you for making the dreams…

Tsebo Solutions Group has acquired Flick Pest Control for an undisclosed sum as part of its strategy to build a fully integrated, compliance-driven national service platform. The acquisition strengthens Tsebo’s Cleaning, Hygiene and Pest Control division and significantly expands its capacity to deliver pest management solutions across both commercial and domestic markets. It comes at a time when organisations face increasing regulatory and public scrutiny around hygiene standards, food safety and environmental compliance. As part of the transaction, the workplace management provider has acquired Flick’s established brand portfolio, including Pestmaster KwaZulu-Natal, Fumigation and Marine Services (FMS), and Contractokil Environmental Services in the Western Cape. Flick’s expertise spans a wide range of pest risks, including rodents, termites, cockroaches, flies, bed bugs and birds. The addition of FMS’s fumigation capabilities further strengthens…

US President Donald Trump has issued a sweeping new proclamation expanding and tightening restrictions on the entry of foreign nationals from dozens of countries, arguing that persistent failures in screening, vetting and information-sharing pose unacceptable risks to national security and public safety. The proclamation, signed on Tuesday and set to take effect on January 1, 2026, builds on earlier measures taken during Trump’s first term and reinstated early in his second administration through Executive Order 14161 and Proclamation 10949. Trump said the updated restrictions follow extensive interagency reviews and continued engagement with foreign governments that, in many cases, failed to address long-standing deficiencies. “It is the policy of the United States to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks and other national security and public safety threats,” Trump said, adding that…

More South Africans are moving between jobs, unemployment, and economic inactivity than they did five years ago, according to Statistics South Africa, pointing to a labour market that is becoming less settled. Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey shows that 91.8% of people who were employed in the third quarter of 2024 were still employed in the fourth quarter. In 2019, the figure was 94.0%. While the decline is small, it shows that fewer people are staying in the same job status from one quarter to the next. A similar pattern is seen among people who were not economically active. In 2024, just under nine out of ten people who were not working and not looking for work remained in that position three months later, down slightly from 2019.…

Anglo American and Teck Resources have detailed commitments they made to the Canadian government, including plans to spend about R121.7 billion over 15 years, as part of their receiving approval from that government for their merger under the Investment Canada Act. The merger, announced first on September 9, is expected to provide "exceptional and enduring benefits for Canada, founded upon establishing a global critical minerals champion headquartered in Canada," a statement from the group said Wednesday. Anglo America's share price gained 2% on the JSE Wednesday around midday to R851.71, which with a 53.6% gain in the price over 12 months, is evidence of investor support for the deal. Anglo American and Teck committed to spend at least C$4.5bn (about R54.8bn) in Canada in 5 years, including for the Highland…

“WE HAVE lived our best and worst times, and through good and bad, we always managed to find each other's hearts.” These were the words of grieving widow Leanne van der Merwe in a heartfelt tribute to her slain husband Marius van der Merwe. Van der Merwe, the former Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) reservist, also known as Witness D at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, was shot dead on the driveway of his Brakpan home on Friday, December 5, just after 8pm. Reflecting on their journey, Leanne said: “Where do I begin? Our story started online with you and the boys. I knew then that our lives would be fated. We have lived our best and worst times, and through good and bad, we always managed…

A remarkable milestone in herpetological research has been achieved with the rediscovery of the Blue-tailed Sandveld Lizard (Nucras caesicaudata), a species that had eluded scientists for more than half a century. This elusive lizard, first described in 1972, has tantalised researchers due to its mystery, vanishing from records since its last sighting more than 53 years ago. With the Blue-tailed Sandveld Lizard back on the radar, conservationists remain hopeful that ongoing surveys and future research will shed more light on the status of this enigmatic lizard, ensuring that it does not vanish again into obscurity. The Blue-tailed Sandveld Lizard was originally identified based on specimens collected between 1966 and 1971, primarily around Gonarezhou National Park in south-eastern Zimbabwe and the north-eastern section of the Kruger National Park in South Africa.…

The MEC for Education in the North West Province must pay more than R2.8 million to the mother of a child who was stabbed in the eye by a fellow learner at school. The North West High Court, sitting in Mahikeng, earlier ruled that the education authorities are 100% liable for the child’s injuries as there was inadequate supervision by the teachers when the incident occurred. The matter was now back in court to determine the amount of damages to be awarded. A host of medical and other experts submitted reports to the court regarding the boy’s injuries and his prognosis. The court was informed that the child, who was injured while attending Seraleng Primary School, was a smart boy who consistently achieved high academic marks. His injury, however, has…

Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile says the City of Cape Town police station precinct provides fertile grounds for crime due to factors including densely populated communities located mainly in informal settlements and a high unemployment rate. He also cited limited, if any, diversion programmes for the youth, and sprawling municipal flats that are cramped spaces. “Causal factors for these bothersome crimes include, among others, gang violence, taxi violence, arguments, revenge attacks, extortion, and gender-based violence,” Patekile said. Patekile, Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Anroux Marais and other officials unpacked the Crime Stats for the province at a media briefing yesterday. “While we are not pleased with the second quarter performance, we remain competent. We will turn the corner with the concerted efforts as we navigate this space with…

In South African cricket, we could have a world-class player scoring runs and taking a bunch of wickets every season in domestic cricket, all for them to never don the green and gold. Some go on to play for South Africa but find themselves back in domestic cricket, as it is incredibly difficult to be a regular in the Proteas setup. This is not a matter of mismanagement, but a matter of the abundance of talent. Had the likes of Colin Ingram hailed from countries such as New Zealand or even England, they probably would have had longer international careers. However, at the time, there were the likes of AB de Villiers, JP Duminy and Jacques Kallis making up the top- to middle-order in white-ball cricket. Proteas wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton…

Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Benin and Botswana clash in a mix of giants and underdogs at AFCON 2025. Senegal head into the tournament as favourites, DRC bring a talented squad to challenge, while Benin and Botswana will be looking to cause surprises and make their mark on the continental stage. SENEGAL CAF Ranking: 2nd Coach: Pape Thiaw Player to watch: Nicolas Jackson Best performance: Champions 2021 Tournament prediction: Semi-finals The Lions of Teranga are hot favourites to win a second title, going into the tournament with an impressive world record run of 22 unbeaten matches. This could well be Sadio Mané’s swansong on the biggest continental stage, and the former Liverpool superstar would love nothing more than to bow out in glory. It is doable, given just how strong…