Tabla de contenidos para 2026-04-13 en Cape Times

Marathon 21-hour negotiations reach dead end as US Vice President admits to sharp disagreements United States Vice President JD Vance on Sunday declined to address mounting concerns over the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz following stalled Iran talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, even as new data points to a deepening crisis in one of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints. Speaking after a marathon 21 hours of negotiations in Pakistan, Vance confirmed that the US and Iran had failed to reach an agreement, with Washington insisting on firm guarantees that Tehran would not pursue nuclear weapons. “The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly…

South Africa has taken a significant step to expand its agricultural exports after reaching a new phytosanitary agreement with People’s Republic of China to amend cold treatment requirements for citrus exports, a move expected to improve efficiency and unlock further growth in a key market. The agreement, signed in Pretoria between Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen and Chinese Ambassador Wu Peng, has been widely welcomed by industry stakeholders, including the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa. Steenhuisen described the development as a major milestone in strengthening trade relations and expanding opportunities for South African producers. “It will cement our position as the biggest exporter of citrus to the PRC,” he said. The Department of Agriculture said the revised cold treatment protocols are designed to improve export efficiency, reduce costs for producers…

The applications of the Lehohla Ledger are vast and versatile. The Ledger demonstrates its capacity as a diagnostic tool for the two decade evasive phenomena from implementing the District Development Model (DDM). I selected three areas in South Africa and generated a schematic of Local Indicator of Spatial Association (LISA) Map comparing Mitchells Plain, Soweto, and Nobody. This illustrates the diagnostic power of the 2752 instruments derived from my 3000 columns written over a career of twenty four years. These instruments diagnose and provide pathways to solutions that are driven by the quest and pursuit for intergenerational value. Through this South African 'Subterranean Mesh' we interrogate at three distinct metabolic states: the 'Dormitory Disconnect' of the Cape, the 'Relentless Pulse' of Gauteng, and the 'Traditional Stagnation' of Limpopo. Each…

Kumba Iron Ore has made progress on its R11,2 billion ultra-high dense media separation processing plant at Sishen, which aims to secure the life of mine to 2041 and significantly increase the volume of premium grade product, said the CEO Mpumi Zikalala. Writing in the annual report released Friday, she said 37% of the overall project was complete and 90% of all engineering work was done. Critical milestones for the main tie-in of the bulk materials handling systemwere scheduled to be reached for the second half of 2026. On the development of low-carbon steelmaking technologies, the group is working with an Anglo American team – and with industry bodies, suppliers and academia – to research and pilot feed strategies for lower-carbon steel technologies, and to develop a portfolio of…

Four regional coordinators of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in the Western Cape have been removed from their positions after raising concerns over what they describe as an “unconstitutional” provincial congress. The congress proceeded on Saturday despite their objections and warnings of a legitimacy crisis. In a joint statement, the coordinators from the Dullah Omar, Southern Cape, West Coast, and Boland regions said they could not support a process they believe undermines internal democracy and constitutional requirements. “We will not be party to the installation of individuals through patronage at the expense of ANCYL members’ democratic rights,” they said, adding that they had “exhausted every internal channel available” before taking their concerns public. They stated that repeated attempts to engage with leadership, including writing to ANCYL Secretary-General Tsakani Shiviti, were…

Newly elected DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis says his leadership will be defined by a singular mission: expanding the DA’s electoral base and positioning it to take control of national government in the coming years. Speaking shortly after his election at the DA’s Federal Congress yesterday, Hill-Lewis said the party was entering a “new chapter”, shifting its focus from opposition and governance at the local level to competing for national power. “The question is whether the DA can lead the country… whether we can become the largest party in national government,” he said. “My answer is a resounding yes.” Central to his address was a four-part strategy aimed at strengthening the party’s electoral prospects. First, Hill-Lewis emphasised the need for the DA to continue demonstrating governance capacity where it is already…

The Tricia Survé Foundation, in collaboration with the AwqafSA Women’s Fund, held a session called “Empowering the Boychild” for the boys of Newton Primary School in Wellington, with a core message about inspiration, hope and perseverance. The hall in Skool Street was a hive of excitement and activity on Saturday, as the session opened with an arts and crafts segment facilitated by Tasneem Chilwan, where a group of about 50 boy pupils painted their canvases with personal and positive affirmations. Pupils and their parents were addressed by speakers, including community leaders and Tricia Survé, the Foundation founder. Survé shared her vision of wanting to help restore empowerment and positive attitudes. “As someone who had grown up here, I had dreams, and with that, I also had a lot of difficulties,…

A former Harvester Primary School teacher has been sentenced after pleading guilty to sexually grooming a minor after she sent a former student an explicit video of herself. The accused, who was a former Grade R teacher at the school, was sentenced on March 27 after she entered a plea agreement with the State at the Mitchells Plain Regional Court. This comes after she sent a video to the then Grade 7 child, which was later leaked. Court documents read: “On or about May 25, 2025 at or near Cedar Close Westridge, Mitchells Plain, the said accused did unlawfully and intentionally commit an act with the 13-year-old by exposing him to pornography by sending a nude, explicit video of a sexual nature of herself, in which the said accused is…

International athletes stole the spotlight on Sunday morning’s Totalsports Two Oceans Half Marathon powered by BYD in Cape Town, with Kenya’s Felix Kibet Masai and Namibia’s Lavina Haitope producing dominant performances on a day when South African hopes were largely overshadowed. While the ultra marathon titles on Saturday belonged to the darling of SA distance running, Gerda Steyn, and little-known Arthur Jantjies from Hopetown, the half marathon firmly belonged to the international elite. Kibet Masai delivered a ruthless front-running display to win the men’s race in 1:03:17 – the fastest winning time in the event since 2017 and just one second shy of the new course record. The Kenyan, relatively unknown in local circles but fresh off a 10km personal best of 27:24 in France earlier this month, signaled his…

South Africa’s sugar industry is set to accelerate efforts to diversify beyond traditional sugar production following the signing of Phase 2 of the Sugar Cane Value Chain Master Plan to 2030, with stakeholders placing innovation and new product development at the centre of the sector’s future. The agreement, signed in Durban under the oversight of Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Zuko Godlimpi, marks a renewed commitment by government, industry and labour to reposition the sector as a more dynamic and sustainable contributor to the economy. Godlimpi stated that the second phase of the master plan signals a turning point for the industry, moving it away from a prolonged period of instability towards a more growth-oriented trajectory. Central to this shift is a strong focus on diversification, particularly into…

For businesses, last week’s fuel price increase of over R3 per litre for petrol and R7 per litre for diesel, is a direct hit to operating costs, impacting supply chains, production lines and distribution networks. In sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, mining and logistics, where fuel is a core input rather than a discretionary expense, this is a hit which is difficult to absorb. With more petrol price increases on the horizon, fuel costs can become a trigger for financial distress across key sectors, so early intervention is important to protect the business and preserve value. South African businesses are well accustomed to operating under sustained pressure. Loadshedding, elevated interest rates, civil unrest, constrained demand and margin compression have become embedded features of the commercial environment. The ongoing crisis in…

South Africa’s agricultural machinery sales recorded their first decline in over a year in March 2026, signalling a pause in momentum amid rising input costs and ongoing uncertainty in the farming sector. According to data released by the South African Agricultural Machinery Association, tractor sales fell by nearly 8% year-on-year to 618 units in March, down from 671 units sold in the same month last year. Combine harvester sales also declined sharply, dropping to 29 units from 37 units a year earlier. Willie Human, chairman of the association, said the slowdown reflects a combination of external pressures weighing on farmers’ investment decisions. “On a year-to-date basis, tractor sales are now approximately 2% up on last year. Twenty-nine combine harvesters were sold in March, eight fewer than the 37 units sold…

The South Africa Revenue Service (SARS) recently released its report on its successes and challenges over the past year. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) is encouraged by SARS’ steady turnaround and congratulates its 14 500 employees on their outstanding achievements, including surpassing R2 trillion in revenue collections and especially in exceeding 2024’s tax collections by 8.4% or R155 billion in taxes owed to the state. We are proud of these dedicated public servants, most of whom are members of COSATU’s affiliate, NEHAWU. The remarkable turnaround of SARS from being at the epicentre of the state capture project and that was systematically decapacitated, to once again becoming a centre of public sector excellence and ramping up the fight against tax evasion and customs fraud; confirms the state’s invaluable…

In a significant development for the national flag carrier, South African Airways (SAA) has officially accepted the resignation of Group Chief Executive Officer, Professor John Lamola. Effective from the end of April 2026, this decision follows a recent Board meeting attended by the Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, who serves as the shareholder representative. Creecy and the Board extended their heartfelt appreciation to Professor Lamola for his dedicated service during a transformative period for SAA. He initially joined the organisation in July 2021 as a Non-Executive Director and Chairperson of the Board, later assuming the role of GCEO in May 2022. Leading SAA through a tumultuous chapter marked by the airline's emergence from business rescue and the continuing fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, Lamola’s guidance has been hailed as…

If you’ve spent much time on TikTok recently, you may have noticed a strange new type of AI brain rot taking over: fruit dramas. These AI-generated short dramas feature odd-looking anthropomorphic fruit characters engaging in a range of ethically problematic behaviours. Many storylines, for instance, are based around affairs, racist attitudes, and the sexual assault of women characters. At face value, the videos come across as so bizarre that they can be hard to take seriously. That is, until you realise they’re amassing hundreds of millions of views. One account called ai.cinema021, which has launched a parody series called Fruit Love Island, boasts over 3 million followers, raising questions about the nature and impact of this peculiar digital content. This content is, at best, a water-guzzling affront to the art…

The appointment of the new SARS Commissioner, Dr Ngobani Johnstone Makhubu, has been hailed as a decision that will support continued progress at SARS. Makhubu is a qualified engineer, a pastor, author, and ultramarathon runner. He holds degrees in Electrical Engineering and Economics, a Master of Business Leadership, and a PhD in Leadership from the Albert Luthuli Leadership Institute (University of Pretoria, 2024). He has over 17 years of senior leadership experience in finance, operations, and tax administration, and has been part of the SARS leadership team since 2016. Makhubu’s appointment received the thumbs-up from various taxation institutions across the country as he succeeds outgoing Commissioner Edward Kieswetter, whose two-year contract ends on 30 April. Keitumetse Sesana, Acting Deputy Chief Executive of the South African Institute of Taxation (SAIT), welcomed…

Nine suspects have been arrested following two separate incidents of attempted illegal harvesting of marine resources within the protected waters of the Robben Island Marine Protected Area (MPA). The arrests stem from intensified operations by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) against organised poaching syndicates targeting South Africa’s vital marine biodiversity. “I want to send a stern warning to poaching syndicates that the senseless and untethered poaching and plundering of our natural resources will come to an end, whether they like it or not,” said Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Willie Aucamp. The first incident occurred on Tuesday night, when two rubber ducks carrying suspected poachers entered the MPA, the department said. When DFFE officials approached, the suspects attempted a desperate escape. Their actions escalated into…

Sentencing proceedings against Paul Scheepers, a rogue SAPS Crime Intelligence head turned private detective, were heard virtually on Friday morning, prosecuted by Senior State Advocate Thersia du Toit. A list of witnesses was expected to be called; however, reports submitted by the State and defence in aggravation and mitigation of sentencing had yet to be studied by both parties. Scheepers was convicted of fraud and money laundering charges, including contraventions of the Private Security Industry Regulation Act (PSiRA) and the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-related Information Act (RICA). In the landmark conviction, Scheepers became the first person to be convicted for being in possession of a cellphone grabber/locator without ministerial exemption and for the use of multiple accounts to conceal R5.59 million in proceeds of unlawful…

The ANC leadership treats its ally the SACP as enemy number one with the recent commemoration of Solomon Mahlangu, executed by the apartheid regime on April 6, 1979, and the assassination of Chris Hani on April 10, 1993, the contrast between past sacrifice and present political reality is stark. Mahlangu embodied the courage of the working class and youth in the armed struggle. Hani, as general secretary of the SACP, member of the ANC national executive committee, and chief of staff of Umkhonto weSizwe, epitomised the principle of dual membership that bound communists and nationalists in a common revolutionary project. Yet today, the ANC leadership treats its long-standing alliance partner, the SACP, as enemy number one while embracing neoliberal and right-wing parties such as the DA and Freedom Front…

While it will take a collective effort from all four South African franchises to maintain their unbeaten runs in the United Rugby Championship (URC), they will still look to key individuals to lead the charge in their respective clashes. The Stormers, Bulls, Lions and Sharks all secured back-to-back victories in the last two URC rounds, and they will be eager to keep that momentum going this weekend. Here, we highlight four players who could prove pivotal to their teams’ fortunes. Chris Smith | Lions The flyhalf will once again be central to the Lions’ hopes as they look to upset log leaders Glasgow Warriors at Ellis Park on Saturday. He has been a consistent figure for the Johannesburg outfit, and that is unlikely to change. Smith remains the competition’s leading…

South Africa’s two major trade unions in the metals and broader industrial sectors have thrown their weight behind Eskom’s 62c/kWh electricity tariff agreement with key smelting companies, describing it as a critical intervention to safeguard jobs, stabilise the sector and support long-term industrialisation. This comes as Eskom last week concluded a 62c/kWh electricity tariff for Samancor Chrome and Glencore–Merafe Chrome ferrochrome smelters after threats to the industry’s survival and jobs. The power utility said the deal will provide it with predictable sales volumes for up to the next five years and protects public investments made in the utility, as well as its ability to support reindustrialization and economic growth. The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and Solidarity over the weekend both welcomed the development, although from slightly…

South Africans are facing a growing food security emergency on multiple fronts, with skyrocketing red meat prices, combined with transport cost pressures on all food necessitating urgent government action before the situation worsens. A severe Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak, which has been widely reported, has led to widespread cattle slaughter across the country, driving red meat prices up and pushing many meat protein products beyond the reach of millions of low-income households. Concurrently, conflict in the Middle East is inflating fertiliser costs, which in time will drive up grain and animal feed prices, impacting everything on supermarket shelves, from vegetables to meat. Additionally, pork prices are rising due to outbreaks of African Swine Fever, resulting in targeted culling. Rising diesel costs, the largest single increase in South African history,…

According to the IMF, the global economic outlook for 2026 has weakened significantly due to the ongoing Middle East conflict, specifically the war involving Israel, the US, and Iran. While global growth was initially projected to be steady, it is now under severe pressure from the largest energy supply disruption in history. n The OECD projects global growth of 2.9% for 2026, down from previous estimates of more than 4.0% due to energy shocks. n Some analysts warn that a prolonged conflict, specifically a six-month closure of the Strait of Hormuz, could tip the global economy into an outright contraction (recession), with world growth falling as low as 1.4%. The announcement by the US that a ceasefire between the US/Israel and Iran was introduced last Tuesday brought some calmness to…

Durban's uShaka Marine World's Wet 'n Wild will be closed for three weeks to allow for maintenance. eThekwini Municipality said the waterpark will be closed between May 4 and May 26 for the planned maintenance programme. "The timing of this maintenance has been carefully planned to coincide with the Waterpark’s low season to minimise disruption to visitors. The work will prioritise several key attractions, including the Waterpark’s three highest slides, the popular 5‑Lane Racer slides, as well as the resurfacing of multiple pools throughout the facility," the City said. Visitors can still visit the tourist attraction for the Sea World, Kids World, Sea Animal Encounters, and Dangerous Creatures sites. In February, the water park was closed following an unexpected pipe burst that led to significant flooding in the plant room,…

Cosmetic injectables have become a go-to for smoother skin and fuller lips, but behind the growing demand lies a troubling reality: more people are falling victim to unsafe treatments and unqualified practitioners. In South Africa, experts are raising concerns about the rise in botched procedures linked to illegal injectors and counterfeit products. What may seem like a quick, affordable beauty fix can quickly turn into a medical emergency. When things go wrong Injectables like fillers and neurotoxins are often marketed as simple, lunchtime procedures. In reality, they are complex medical treatments that require an in-depth understanding of facial anatomy. When performed incorrectly, the consequences can be severe. Injecting into the wrong area, or too deeply, can restrict blood flow, damage tissue, and even lead to permanent scarring. In extreme cases,…

President Cyril Ramaphosa and former head of the Presidential Protection Unit (PPU), Major General Wally Rhoode, have been accused of contravening the Criminal Procedure Act by failing to report the theft at Phala Phala farm to the local police station. International law Professor Andre Thomashausen said both Ramaphosa and Rhoode could have opened a criminal case at a local police station, allowing police to perform their duties as normal. His comments came after the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) found that the PPU, under Rhoode, abused state resources and invoked Ramaphosa’s name to shield their unauthorised and unlawful investigation into the 2020 theft at the Phala Phala farm. The report identified misuse of state resources, including vehicles, flights and accommodation, for what was treated as a private matter. Travel documents…

The launch of a centenary coffee table book at Livingstone High School on Saturday brought generations of alumni together in the school hall, blending celebration with reflection as the institution marked 100 years of history, resilience and community. Held at the school, the event drew families spanning decades, many bound by deep-rooted ties to the institution, as former pupils, educators and supporters gathered to honour a legacy shaped across a century. Among those paging through the publication was Gadija Fakier Vallie, Class of 1965, who paused as memories resurfaced. “It brings back so many mixed emotions, sadness and joy. My brothers were also here, and my husband. We all met here at Livingstone,” she said. Her reflection captured the spirit of the afternoon, where the turning of each page revealed…

A coalition of workers, political parties, civil society organisations, and community leaders gathered outside the US Consulate in Cape Town on Friday for the third consecutive anti-imperialist protest, renewing calls for an end to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and beyond. The demonstration builds on similar actions earlier this year, including a January protest, where groups voiced opposition to US foreign policy and expressed solidarity with countries such as Venezuela. On Friday, protesters waved Palestinian flags and chanted “Free Palestine” and “Free Iran”, among other slogans, as they condemned what they described as US-led imperialism affecting countries including Iran, Yemen, Lebanon, Cuba, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Programme director and member of the Palestine Solidarity Committee, Yusuf Chikte, opened proceedings by invoking the legacy of Chris Hani, as…

Manchester City ignited the English Premier League title race with a second-half blitz that sealed a 3-0 win against Chelsea, as they closed the gap on leaders Arsenal yesterday. Pep Guardiola's teams produced a devastating spell immediately after half-time, with Nico O'Reilly and Marc Guehi scoring in the space of six minutes at Stamford Bridge. Jeremy Doku wrapped up a statement victory to ensure City took advantage of Arsenal's shock 2-1 home defeat against Bournemouth on Saturday. Second-placed City are now only six points behind Arsenal with a game in hand, setting up a seismic showdown against the Gunners at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. Having beaten Arsenal in the League Cup final and thrashed Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals, City are hitting form at just the right time.…