Table of contents for 2026-01-23 in Cape Times

DAVOS - Sekunjalo chairman Dr Iqbal Survé has called for closer collaboration between government, business and society to strengthen South Africa’s image as an attractive investment destination, saying the country’s future success depends on stakeholders working together. Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Survé welcomed the tone and substance of speeches by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola and Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana, saying they reinforced the message that South Africa is moving in the right direction. “I think they were really good speeches by the ministers,” said Survé. “They reaffirm South Africa’s trend towards becoming a more investment-friendly destination. That’s good for the country and good for South Africa’s brand image.” As a leading figure in the private sector,…

Sasol's Louisiana Integrated Polyethylene joint venture cracker experienced an extended outage in the three months to December 31. "The plant was successfully restarted at the end of December 2025. Our self-help measures continued to deliver benefits, which led to lower costs and capital expenditure," directors said on Thursday in a business update. An online search showed that LyondellBasell, as co-owner of the plant, had to balance the Louisiana outage first reported in November, against its global cracker network, mitigating supply disruptions through other facilities. The outage, however, did not appear to dampen investor sentiment following the release of Sasol's business update, as the share was a top mover on the JSE in the morning, rising 6.1% to R106.33. The price has risen steadily since a new strategy to optimise operations…

Agricultural industry leaders have responded positively to news that Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has appointed a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) Industry Coordination Council. The news follows last week's announcement of Minister Steenhuisen's long-term plan to vaccinate South Africa’s entire national cattle herd as part of a comprehensive strategy to eradicate foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Members of the newly appointed council include Johann Kotzé, Bennie van Zyl, Theo Boshoff, Frikkie Maré, Fanie Ferreira, Marlene Louw, Bongani Msimang, Kobus Bester, and Dewald Olivier. The Department of Agriculture said that this council has been established to ensure that the industry plays an active, coordinated role in supporting the phased rollout of the FMD strategy, including vaccine distribution, traceability, and disease control readiness. Steenhuisen expressed his full commitment to eradicating FMD. “This council…

DA leader John Steenhuisen appears to have weathered the recent political storm, with his home province of KwaZulu-Natal endorsing his bid to retain the leadership of the party. Provincial leaders who spoke to The Mercury said leading the DA into government for the very first time in its history is Steenhuisen's biggest achievement and could be his saviour as he fights to retain the top job. The party is expected to hold an elective conference this year. Steenhuisen, who had faced accusations emerging from inside the party, is expected to retain the post, and to date, no challenger has emerged. A senior leader of the DA in KwaZulu-Natal, Dean Macpherson, gave the strongest indication that Steenhuisen could retain his post, pointing out that he had rescued it from dysfunction. He…

The first contingent of water extracted from the PG Bison boreholes was en route to the Knysna Water Treatment Plant yesterday. This follows the successful conclusion of a contract between Knysna Municipality and PG Bison. “A huge thank you to Gift of the Givers, who have played a pivotal role by providing suitably large tanker trucks to transport the water. This collaboration is a powerful example of what can be achieved when organisations work together for the greater good,” Knysna Municipality said. Motorists were urged to proceed with caution in the area, as water extraction was taking place adjacent to the N2 near the Karatara turn-off. “While this is an encouraging step forward, we are not yet out of the woods. Day Zero remains a real possibility. Every drop counts,…

Woman Down Colleen Hoover Narrated by Sarah Naughton Brilliance Audio WHEN the name Colleen Hoover comes to the forefront of a literary discussion, you often see an explosive combination of deep storytelling interlaced with emotional rollercoasters. Her latest audiobook, Woman Down, narrated by Sarah Naughton and released just a week ago, adds a thrilling twist to her repertoire. Clocking in at nearly 12 hours, this story promises a journey filled with riveting scenes, unforeseen revelations, and an unwavering layer of suspense. It’s a captivating experience that evidently aims to claim a special place … but does it succeed? The premise revolves around Petra Rose, a once-revered author who has hit rock bottom. The casting shade of public opinion after a viral scandal has left her feeling like a fraud, igniting…

Novak Djokovic sent 141st-ranked qualifier Francesco Maestrelli packing in straight sets to ease into the Australian Open third round yesterday with a little help from his favourite tree. The Serbian great is on his latest mission to win a record 25th Grand Slam title and dismissed the Italian 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. Djokovic faces 75th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands next. The former world number one, who won his first match by the same comprehensive scoreline, said: "Similar feeling on the court of generally positive." The fourth seed did not play a warm-up tournament and said his longer off-season was paying off. "I'm really happy I'm able to play this way, considering the lack of competitive matches for more than two months," the 38-year-old said. "It's all been…

TOMORROW will mark the first of back-to-back coastal derbies in the United Rugby Championship (URC) between the Stormers and Sharks, with Cape Town hosting the opening duel. For the Stormers, the challenge at the DHL Stadium (7.30pm kick-off) is clear: strike early, dominate the big plays and lay down a marker for the rest of the clash as they look to maintain their unbeaten home run against a hungry Sharks. We look at five key areas the Cape side will be targeting as they look to gain the upper hand to make it a ninth victory in the competition. Scrums The anticipation will build for the first scrum of the game, and how quickly the Stormers can establish some domination up front will be critical. The Sharks left Ox Nché…

Eskom CEO Dan Marokane says there is no replacement contract in place for the existing power supply agreement Eskom is racing against time to secure a new power supply agreement with Mozambique’s Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB), as the current deal that supplies electricity to Mozal aluminium smelter is set to expire at the end of March, raising the risk of major operational disruptions if negotiations fail. Speaking amid growing concern over the looming deadline, Eskom CEO Dan Marokane on Thursday confirmed that the existing power supply agreement will formally end in March and that no replacement contract has yet been concluded. This has heightened anxiety around the future of Mozal, one of southern Africa’s largest aluminium smelters owned by South32 and a significant industrial consumer of electricity. Late last…

Zanele Matome, the CEO and founder of Welo Health, is making her mark on the global stage as one of the few African tech entrepreneurs invited to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. Born and raised in Rustenburg in South Africa’s North West province, Matome is using her debut appearance at WEF to seek strategic investors who can help make her digital health startup a household name globally. Matome is the CEO and co-founder of Welo Health, a South Africa–based digital health tech startup that helps employers better manage the health of their workforce. Welo Health connects corporates, health insurers, and healthcare professionals through a single, flexible ecosystem designed to improve health outcomes while boosting productivity. Built as an infrastructure platform, Welo Health enables companies to reduce absenteeism, manage…

THE Constitutional Court’s ruling validating antenuptial contracts entered into after a customary marriage could result in increased litigation as economically-weaker spouses challenge previously accepted antenuptial contracts. This is according to family law expert Bertus Preller following the Concourt’s decision to decline to confirm a previous order of constitutional invalidity made by the Gauteng High Court, which had declared Section 10(2) of the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act unconstitutional. The majority of the ConCourt held that this section does not allow a change in the matrimonial property regime without judicial oversight. The ruling was prompted by a couple who entered into a customary marriage in 2011, signed an antenuptial contract in 2019, and then married civilly in 2021. Upon divorce a year later, a dispute arose regarding their property regime.…

FORMER ANC Treasurer Dr Zweli Mkhize has availed himself for a leadership position within the party should the ANC delegates wish to see him in that role. In a recent interview with the Cape Times’s sister publication, Isolezwe, Mkhize expressed unequivocally that he has no plans to retire from politics. The ANC is set to convene an elective conference around 2027, and as of now, no clear frontrunner for the position of party president has emerged. Current deputy president Paul Mashatile, Senzo Mchunu, and Fikile Mbalula are already surfacing as potential contenders for the ANC presidency. Current National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza’s name has also been included in the list. Mkhize previously vied for this role in 2022, nearly securing it before withdrawing just prior to the elections. His…

THE Eastern Cape teacher who allegedly shot and killed two of his ex-colleagues before turning the gun on himself was dismissed from the school following sexual assault charges and was out on bail at the time of the shooting. This was disclosed by Eastern Cape police spokesperson, Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana, yesterday after three Ntabankulu Primary School female teachers were shot dead during the attack. One died at the scene, the second was declared dead after being taken to hospital, while the third remains in a critical condition in hospital. The incident occurred at about 12pm when the former teacher allegedly forced his way onto the premises by cutting through the perimeter fence. Gantana said the suspect, a male former teacher at the school, died at the scene after…

THE SA Heritage Resources Agency (Sahra) has failed in its Supreme Court of Appeal case to stop the sale or export of various assets belonging to Dr Makaziwe Mandela and former president Nelson Mandela’s prison warder Christo Brand. Sahra, as well as the Robben Island Museum and the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, had asked that Mandela’s daughter and his former prison warder be interdicted from selling the struggle icon’s key to his Robben Island prison cell and other artefacts associated with him. Other items include a copy of the 1996 Constitution signed by the former president before the final version was formally executed. The Gauteng High Court, Pretoria turned down the application. Sahra and the others (the appellants) subsequently turned to the SCA to…

After a lengthy absence, Wayde Jooste made a compelling return to football with an inspirational performance that propelled Stellenbosch FC to victory in his debut match. Jooste last played in March 2025, and this match was not just about the three points; it also marked a poignant return to professional football. He helped Stellenbosch kick off the 2026 calendar year with a much-needed 1-0 victory over Sekhukhune United in the Betway Premiership. The match, played in Polokwane on Tuesday evening, was met with jubilation from the Stellenbosch faithful, who celebrated a well-deserved win. Jooste, who joined Stellenbosch in December, took to the pitch with an eagerness not only to prove himself but to contribute meaningfully to his new team. Stellenbosch have been in dire straits for most of the season…

Liverpool took a big step towards automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday as Mohamed Salah returned in a 3-0 victory at Marseille. Dominik Szoboszlai put the six-time European champions ahead on the stroke of half-time, before a Geronimo Rulli own goal and a Cody Gakpo strike added gloss to the scoreline in the second half. "We always keep saying it after a win or a good result," captain Virgil van Dijk told TNT Sports of Liverpool's attempts to build momentum in what has been a difficult season so far for the Premier League winners. "Full focus on recovery now and then we go to Bournemouth on Saturday, and they're hard to beat. We have to be more than ready. We fly back tomorrow. On to the…

State defence entity Denel has remained mum as labour and political parties have sounded strong alarm bells after employees at Denel PMP and Denel Dynamics were informed that the divisions are unable to pay salaries for this month, in what appears to be another salary crisis at the state-owned company. Strong views have been expressed calling for the appointment of a new, permanent board with appropriate expertise in the defence industry, engineering, finance and project execution; consequence management for the non-implementation of board-approved strategies; a new management approach with zero tolerance for corruption; and serious consideration of public–private partnerships to restore sustainability, protect strategic capabilities and secure jobs. The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), which among other labour organisations has been involved in charting a turnaround plan,…

A stronger rand is translating to mixed fortunes to the cost profile of South32’s aluminium production in South Africa and Mozambique while higher energy costs and other raw materials are also weighing In South Africa, South32 produces aluminium from Hillside Aluminium, which is located in KwaZulu- Natal while it also mines for manganese at the Wessels mine in the Northern Cape. The company also operated Mozal Aluminium, which it was planning to mothball due to a failure to secure a power supply agreement for the operation. Over the quarterly period to December, South32 completed planned maintenance works at the South Africa mine. This helped to bring up South32’s total manganese production for the period by 58% “as Australia Manganese returned to normalised production rates, while South Africa Manganese completed planned…

UNEVEN enforcement has been identified as one of the factors contributing to scholar transport accidents. This is according to the Greater Gauteng Learner Transport Organisation (GGLTO), which said many drivers operate without roadworthiness checks, while some are not adequately vetted and trained. The association said stronger monitoring and consistent enforcement are urgently needed to protect learners. “We were devastated when we heard the news. No parent should ever have to fear whether their child will return home safely from school. This tragedy has shaken our community and underscores the urgent need for stronger safeguards in learner transport,” said GGLTO secretary general Sibongile Maseko. Maseko said that while the investigation will provide clarity, early indications suggest that a combination of vehicle condition, driver conduct, and possibly overcrowding may have contributed. These…

THEY may be separated by thousands of kilometres between their countries, but what brings them closer are the struggles they faced as pregnant women. Hermina Nandode lives in the Central African Republic (CAR), Murjanatu in northern Nigeria, and Sabera is a Rohingya refugee in Bangladesh. Their journeys to motherhood have been far from straightforward. Even after birth, they have to overcome the struggles of trying to keep their babies healthy. “I walked from five to nine in the morning. I had to come alone—my parents arrived the next day. My husband wanted to come, but his bicycle broke down,” said Nandode, cradling her baby wrapped in a colourful blanket. She was speaking from Batangafo hospital in northern CAR, where some women travel up to 100 kilometres to…

The residential development at the Golden Acre Precinct in the CBD is scheduled for completion on December 1, when tenants are expected to begin moving in. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis yesterday led a guided walkthrough of the site, marking a key milestone in the redevelopment of the city’s central commuter and retail hub, a project aimed at revitalising the inner city through improved safety, affordable housing and upgraded public spaces. Hill-Lewis was joined at the site by mayco member for economic development James Vos, City officials and members of the Golden Acre development team. The visit focused on progress made on the residential component of the development, public safety initiatives around the site, and upgrades to key commuter routes, including the pedestrian bridge linking the precinct to the transport interchange. Hill-Lewis…

Southern food is a rich and varied cuisine, full of complexities that make it nearly impossible to confine to a single cookbook. But that is precisely the challenge culinary historian Michael W Twitty took on in his latest cookbook, Recipes From the American South. “The South is not the Confederacy,” Twitty told the audience while we were in conversation at a Washington bookstore. “How do you take a place that has been settled by human beings for 13 000 years and reduce it to four years of white supremacy rule?” There is no strict border separating distinct worlds in the United States. “There is no such thing as you leap over a border and all of a sudden everything’s different,” Twitty said. “There is no sweet tea line. There is…

The Pretoria Capitals (PC) have all the cards stacked in their favour after booking an early ticket to the SA20 final. Whichever team they face on Sunday, will have to deal with not only a confident PC outfit but also the looming threat of physical fatigue. Ultimately, PC's seven-wicket victory over Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) in Qualifier 1 earlier this week boiled down to patience. There was a point in the game where it looked as though SEC were going to set a target in excess of 190 runs — a total that would have almost certainly taken the match away from the Capitals. During Jordan Hermann and Jonny Bairstow's 81-run stand, the pair scored at over eight runs an over, touching the nine runs an over mark at one…

With one not-so-subtle post on X, confirming that attack guru Tony Brown won’t be leaving the Springboks anytime soon, Rassie Erasmus has ignited a fiery debate. Rather than issuing a bland statement or allowing stories on Brown’s future to dictate the discourse, Erasmus took to X on Saturday. In his typical fashion, he got his point across with a sense of humour that rugby could probably use a bit more of. Following the sacking of Scott Robertson, the rumour mill went into overdrive. As quickly as “Razor sacked” began to trend, Brown was linked to South Africa’s fiercest rivals. Whispers from New Zealand suggested he could be drawn into an All Blacks set-up, possibly alongside Jamie Joseph as part of a revival plan heading towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup.…