Table of contents for 2026-04-15 in Cape Times

The Transport and Retail Allied Workers Union (TRAWU) on Tuesday called for a secondary strike on April 17 at the major telecommunications groups, including Telkom, Vodacom, MTN, and Cell C, in support of a prolonged strike occurring at CJA Telecommunications. Silverton, Pretoria-based CJA Telecommunications, originally established as a close corporation in 2004 to service Telkom South Africa as a turnkey contractor, converted to a privately owned company in 2009. The company does infrastructure projects for nearly all of the major telcos in Southern Africa, including planning, civils, VSAT, LAN and fibre, greenfield installations, wifi, generators, batteries, base stations, and site build projects. A TRAWU spokesperson said that about 120 CJA staff nationwide had been on strike since April 2, and while the company was still operating, its operations were likely…

International financial institution downgrades country’s forecasts on the weight of Middle East conflict The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has sharply downgraded South Africa’s economic growth forecasts for 2026 and 2027, warning that escalating conflict in the Middle East and resulting energy shocks are weighing on global and regional prospects. In its April edition of the World Economic Outlook, the IMF revised South Africa’s growth projection for 2026 down to 1.0%, down from the 1.4% forecast in January. The outlook for 2027 was also lowered to 1.3%, compared with the previous estimate of 1.5%. The downward revisions reflect mounting global uncertainty following the outbreak of war in the Middle East in late February, which has disrupted energy markets, driven up oil prices, and heightened inflationary pressures worldwide. The war is a…

South Africa’s struggling Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector is being repositioned as a cornerstone of inclusive growth, with a new policy proposal placing public-private partnerships (PPPs) at the heart of a sweeping reform agenda aimed at tackling youth unemployment and unlocking long-term investment. A research paper, compiled by sector specialists and published by the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) on Tuesday, argues that the country’s persistent mismatch between high unemployment and scarce technical skills is not a failure of concept, but of institutional design and funding structure. The paper proposes a fundamental shift: transforming TVET colleges into investable social infrastructure through coordinated partnerships between government, private operators, industry, and institutional investors. At the core of the proposal is a blended PPP model in which government retains ownership of…

The Easter holiday with its voyage of South African multitudes traversing the rural and peri-urban parts of the country, returning home, reconnecting with family, or seeking rest- has come and gone. This migration, a major boost for the domestic tourism market, is not without its ups and downs, and requires us to once again reexamine what needs to be done to plot our transport sector’s pathway to a sustainable future. The potpourri of these constraints includes the costs of the movement of people and goods, limited options for road and rail, a constrained and unaffordable domestic airlift service, and a very intermittent and sometime unsafe bus, coach and taxi services for long haul public use. These pressures are not made easy by the costs of fuel, worsened by the current…

Tharisa saw its first successful blast at the Tharisa Mine Apollo portal, marking the transition to underground mining in parallel with the existing open cast operations at the JSE and London dual-listed metals and mining company. A production report for the second quarter to March 31 showed that quarterly PGM production was 34.3 koz (Q1: 38.8 koz) with PGM recoveries stable at 77.5% (Q1: 78.8). PGM prices averaged higher at $3,038/oz (Q1: $2,208). Tharisa’s CEO Phoevos Pouroulis said underground development at the mine began on March 31 and it showcased the long-term life of the mine, with over 60 years of underground mining potential, while over $500 million would be invested over the next decade to sustain the optimal output of over 200 kozpa of PGMs and 2.0 Mt of…

Mulilo, the renewable energy company, has reached financial close on the 337 MW Middlepunt Solar PV project in the Free State near Welkom, marking the first project under REIPPPP Bid Window 7 to achieve this milestone. Once operational, the project is expected to generate approximately 770 GWh of clean electricity annually and will connect to the Everest Main Transmission Substation (MTS), enabling efficient integration into South Africa’s national grid. This will result in the avoidance of 813,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions annually and will provide enough energy to power about 325,000 households. “Financial close of the Middlepunt project marks a major achievement for South Africa’s renewable energy programme under Bid Window 7. Reaching this milestone required immense effort and collaboration from a wide range of stakeholders,” said Mulilo…

Concerns have been raised by the Durban High Court regarding the appropriateness of the evidence presented by a new State witness in the Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla case linked to the 2021 July unrest. The witness is a cybersecurity specialist but is offering “linguistic” evidence rather than testifying within his field of expertise. Phiwa Mzila, who has a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Zululand (2006), took the stand and confirmed his expertise in cybersecurity. However, he stated that he was asked to analyse Twitter data, translate any isiZulu content into English, on the tweets of Zuma-Sambudla, and provide a report based on this analysis, which included a reference to an affidavit from Sarah-Jane Trent. Mzila, a Zulu-speaking individual who passed high school isiZulu with distinction, explained that his…

A family in Drommedaris, Mbekweni in Paarl is struggling to come to terms with the death of their 26-year-old daughter, Ntombi Ntsondwa, who was found murdered in her boyfriend’s home. Speaking to reporters in their home, relatives described the loss as sudden and difficult to process, still trying to make sense of how someone they had seen just days earlier was now gone. Ntsondwa was found lying on her back on a large pillow and blanket, undressed, with her arms twisted. Her boyfriend was nowhere to be found at the time. Community members who entered the home were confronted with the scene. “When we walked in, I saw her immediately that she had passed. I saw the blood, I saw the wound above her eyebrow, and her arms were blue…

Marcelo Allende is under no illusions that Mamelodi Sundowns have wrapped up their CAF Champions League semi-final and urged his teammates to remain “focused” in Saturday’s second-leg tie against Esperance at Loftus Versveld. Sundowns claimed a historic 1-0 victory in Tunis last Sunday, and will now have the added advantage of an away goal in Pretoria. But Esperance showed during the previous round that they are excellent travellers by overcoming Egyptian giants Al Ahly 3-2 in the second-leg quarter-final in Cairo. Allende is therefore fully aware of the challenge that awaits Sundowns in the nation’s capital. “We know that Esperance is a strong team in many ways, so we need to keep focused,” the Chilean playmaker said. “We need to play from the first minute and go for the win.…

One of the most famous quotes by the Brazilian football great Edson Arantes do Nascimento, famously known as Pelé, was that ‘at the turn of the century, an African team will win the World Cup’. Having passed away at the age of 82 in December 2022, Pelé lived long enough to see whether his prophecy would come true, but it simply never materialised. In fact, even now, there are no signs of it coming true, especially given the latest scandals within CAF. As we speak, the continent’s governing body is in the news for the wrong reasons: stripping Senegal of the Africa Cup of Nations title and awarding it to the beaten finalists and neighbours, Morocco. These are controversies that no organisation would want to be associated with, let alone…

Isuzu Motors South Africa (IMSAf) has announced the strategic appointment of Takashi Nishida as its new Chairman (Non-Executive Director). Nishida succeeds Satoshi Yamaguchi, who is set to retire after a 43-year career. Yamaguchi served as both Managing Executive Officer of the Light Commercial Vehicle Business and Chairman of IMSAf. Taking the helm as chairman, Nishida brings nearly three decades of experience at Isuzu, along with extensive global insights that will be invaluable in his new role. His career trajectory began in Aftersales and Parts operations, leading him to a focus on Overseas Sales, particularly within the African market over the last 20 years. Nishida’s international experience is extensive; he has undertaken various assignments, including a significant period at Isuzu Truck South Africa between 2007 and 2010, as well as…

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has declared a deadlock in wage negotiations with Eskom, rejecting the utility’s offer of a 7% annual increase over three years and warning of escalating tensions if the impasse is not urgently resolved. In a strongly worded media briefing yesterday, Numsa said it had “been left with no option” but to go public after talks failed to yield a meaningful agreement. The union accused Eskom of undermining the collective bargaining process and short-changing workers despite a significantly improved financial position. Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim said the offer on the table falls far short of what workers deserve, especially given the utility’s recent financial recovery. “We are going public in rejecting the current offer on the table which Numsa regards as…

The acting general manager of Gledhow Sugar Mill in KwaDukuza, in an interview with Business Report, broke down the R1.8 billion expansion of the mill and the opportunities it creates, along with 400 jobs that were saved. This follows the relaunch last week, which was attended by Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Zuko Godlimpi. Gledhow had previously entered business rescue in the 2023/2024 period. Dawid Louw said that Kenyan-based Chatthe Group bought the business out of business rescue last year in January. “Since then, we have started or embarked on a massive factory expansion upgrade,” he said. “Gledhow Mill is well over 100 years in existence, and during the period of business rescue, there was not an enormous amount of maintenance done, so it needed an uplift and…

As the Hormuz disruption drags on, large energy users around the world and in South Africa have faced an unprecedented, sobering new reality: Diesel, always the last line of defence for power systems, cannot be relied upon in the case of grid outages or a power crisis. The availability of diesel during a crisis has hardly been questioned until 6 weeks ago. When South Africa’s power goes out, diesel keeps the country running. During stable system operations, like now, Eskom’s open cycle gas turbines (OCGTs) are used only at minimal levels to balance the system. But when Eskom’s system reserves are low, Eskom ramps up the usage of these diesel OCGT’s to reduce the need to load-shed as much as possible. Once this fails and Eskom needs to load-shed, private…

iVeri, one of Africa’s longest-standing payment technology providers, has been acquired by Payfast founder and former MD and entrepreneur Jonathan Smit. By combining privately-held iVeri’s 30-year legacy of proven infrastructure with Smit’s track record of scaling one of the continent’s most successful payment gateways, the deal - the value of which was not disclosed - could signal a significant shift in Africa’s fintech landscape. “Payments keeps drawing me back because it is infrastructural in nature. Trends come and go, but the need to move money never does, and that is exactly where I want to be. The acquisition is a return to those roots,” Smit said Tuesday in a statement. He said that for decades, iVeri had been “the blue-chip of African payments, synonymous with stability and trust.” “My goal…

Gauteng Deputy Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba, who has been implicated in testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, has been recommended for the position of the next Judge President of Gauteng. The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) will forward his name to the President for final approval. Grilled yesterday during his interview, Judge Ledwaba denied that he took a bribe in the KT Molefe bail appeal and said the fact that his name came up at the Commission remains a surprise to him. He was questioned by a panel during his interview, for which he was the only candidate shortlisted for the position. Chief Justice Mandisa Maya warned him that the allegations before the Madlanga Commission would be a “big issue” during the panel’s deliberations when voting for or against his…

The National Lotteries Commission (NLC) has admitted that it has no records of whether or not the Minister of Finance approved over R9.59 billion in investments in financial institutions made over a four-year period. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) is probing the investments made between January 2014 and May 2017. Between January 2014 and March 2015, the commission invested over R5.6bn and more than R3.23bn between June 2015 and November 2015, another R599 million was invested between August 2016 and February 2017 as well as R137m between April 2017 and May 2017. According to the SIU, one of its mandates is to investigate the investment of funds by NLC. The NLC has indicated that it invested the funds in various financial institutions. “The Lotteries Act allows the commission to invest…

Suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi told the Madlanga Commission that his boss, suspended police chief Isaac Mapiyeye, may have lied to the Commission about the recruitment and promotion of senior officials. In 2025, Mapiyeye told the Commission that Mkhwanazi pushed through more than 55 senior appointments and promotions without his knowledge, consent or involvement between May and July 2024. He highlighted that numerous job positions were not publicly advertised, thereby bypassing standard recruitment and promotion protocols. He accused Mkhwanazi of often appointing individuals from his previous specialised unit, which he said sparked concerns about favouritism and internal capture. Mapiyeye even questioned the legitimacy of Mkhwanazi’s own appointment as deputy chief. Mkhwanazi yesterday told the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that the recruitment process was initiated by…

An Afrikaans medium school turned to court to overturn a decision by the North West Department of Education to place 78 English-speaking learners in the school. The Swartruggens Gekombineerde Skool, a single-medium Afrikaans school, and its governing body told the North West High Court, sitting in Mafikeng, that it is not geared to educate English-speaking learners. The placement occurred via the SA-SAMS system during the December 2025 holidays, without prior warning or agreement on the infrastructure of the school, its staffing capabilities, or its resources. The school has an approved language policy, adopted in April last year, which designates Afrikaans as the sole language of instruction from Grade R to Grade 12. It also has an admission policy, which sets out capacity determinations based on educational, infrastructural, and operational factors.…

Manchester United interim boss Michael Carrick blasted referee Paul Tierney for sending off Lisandro Martinez in Monday’s 2-1 defeat against Leeds. Martinez was dismissed in the second-half at Old Trafford after the United defender pulled the hair of Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Tierney showed the Argentine a red card after VAR officials told him to consult the pitch-side monitor. United were trailing to Noah Okafor's first-half double when Martinez was dismissed. And although Casemiro got one back for Carrick's side, they were unable to avoid the second defeat of his 11-match reign. “I thought the boys, the way they went about it, they stayed positive and fought to get something out of it after another shocking decision to send off Lisandro,” Carrick said. “Two games in a row we've had…

The Stormers will need to put the emotion aside of losing long-serving manager Chippie Solomon in this weekend’s crunch United Rugby Championship (URC) clash against Connacht at DHL Stadium. John Dobson’s team have been visibly shaken by Solomons’ death last week, and while they will be using it as motivation, the focus cannot be shifted away from their pursuit of a home play-off spot. The Stormers are currently in second place on the URC table - four points adrift of table-toppers Glasgow Warriors - with three matches remaining before the knockout stages. And while Connacht may be in a lowly ninth position, Dobson is fully aware that his charges cannot let their guard down on Saturday (1.45pm kick-off). “It’s a hell of an important game. Obviously, it’s crucial in the…

Flavio Da Silva may have established himself as Kaizer Chiefs’ knight in shining armor during a difficult period for the club, but he knows he cannot do it alone, which is why he is benefiting from the overall support of his teammates. Chiefs are currently enjoying a purple patch. They have won their last four games in the Betway Premiership, putting themselves in a strong position to finish third on the log, potentially behind Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates. Silva has been a key contributor to Chiefs' newly found winning streak, scoring two goals in the last two games against Orbit College and TS Galaxy. His goal tally now stands at eight strikes and one assist in 24 games across all competitions so far. Given that Silva was heavily scrutinised…

South Africa’s mining industry delivered its strongest performance in two years in February, with production rising by 9.7% year-on-year, rebounding from a revised 5% increase in January. The latest figures released by Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) on Tuesday signal a sharp recovery in activity, marking the fastest pace of growth since February 2024, although analysts caution that the improvement remains uneven and largely driven by base effects. According to StatsSA, the surge in output was underpinned by strong gains in several key commodities. Platinum group metals (PGMs) led the expansion, recording an exceptional 52.3% increase and contributing the bulk of overall growth. Other notable contributors included chromium ore, which rose by 26.9%, manganese ore at 17.8%, and gold at 12.8%, which contributed an additional 1.3% to the top-line reading. Nickel…

Civil society groups have raised alarm over the impact of rising fuel prices on food affordability, warning that the knock-on effects will deepen financial strain on South African households, particularly the most vulnerable. Groups including the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD) say recent increases in diesel and petrol costs are likely to drive up food prices in the coming months, reversing recent gains in affordability and placing additional pressure on already stretched consumers. Evashnee Naidu, KwaZulu-Natal regional manager of Black Sash, on Tuesday said there is growing concern about further fuel hikes, especially given ongoing global instability. “Particularly the steep increase in diesel is concerning as this impacts the transport of goods within South Africa like food items," she said. "Given the ongoing global crisis and the possibility…

Rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are beginning to filter through to South Africa’s agricultural sector, with the latest Absa AgriTrends report warning of escalating input costs, supply chain disruptions, and mounting pressure on both producers and consumers. In its fifth annual report released on Tuesday, Absa AgriBusiness said the ongoing conflict is already affecting the local agricultural value chain through higher fertiliser and fuel costs, as well as logistical challenges linked to global trade routes. According to Loffie Brandt, senior executive at Absa AgriBusiness, the most immediate impact is being felt through rising input prices. Fertiliser costs, in particular, have surged sharply, with urea—a key input used to boost crop yields—reaching its highest levels in years, trading above $650 (R10 638) by early April. Brandt said that producers…

Ahead of us there is a massive, complex campaign to repair and expand our energy transmission and distribution infrastructure. The state and private sector are both deploying historic amounts of capital, and soon thousands of technicians and workers will be deployed to see this vision materialise. I worry we aren’t ready to support them as much as we are ready to support the budget requirements. In 2025 a record 7.5 GW of planned private renewable energy projects were registered with the National Energy Regulator (Nersa) for a combined investment value of R158 billion. That’s almost half of the investment value of all the private energy projects that have ever been registered with Nersa. On the state and government side, National Treasury’s 2026 budget outlined a monumental R1 trillion general infrastructure…

South Africa’s residential property market is gaining momentum, but the gains are increasingly out of step with what households earn. House price inflation accelerated to 7.1% in November 2025, up from 6.8% in October, with prices rising 0.6% month-on-month, according to Statistics South Africa. Property owners benefit from rising asset values, particularly in coastal regions, while renters face steadily increasing monthly costs driven by the same underlying forces – demand concentration, limited supply, and higher property prices. Yet, home prices are rising faster than rents, and both are rising faster than income growth, creating a widening affordability gap. According to the February 2026 PayInc Net Salary Index, average nominal net salaries in South Africa remained stable at R21,550. Fuelling the increase in housing prices is higher-value regions and property types.…

DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has thrown his support behind Minister of Agriculture and former leader, John Steenhuisen, who is facing mounting criticism over the handling of the national foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, describing the situation as a “national emergency” and urging unity behind the government’s response plan. Hill-Lewis acknowledged concerns from key constituencies, including commercial farmers and business groups, but made it clear that the party would stand by Steenhuisen while efforts to contain the outbreak continue. “At the minute, he is involved in a massive battle with this disease. It’s a national emergency, a national disaster,” Hill-Lewis said. “He’s put out a plan to try and get this disease under control and get 80% vaccination by the end of this calendar year. I think we’ve got to back him in…

Fraudulent marriages and life partnerships were primary mechanisms for immigration fraud, often involving foreign “pastors and prophets” who would enter on visitor visas before entering into sham unions to secure Permanent Residence Permits (PRPs). This was according to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) progress report presented to President Cyril Ramaphosa, which reveals further details on how sham marriages have been used as a vehicle to secure permanent residency in South Africa. Corrupt officials and religious leaders collaborated to facilitate “marriages of convenience” and fraudulent life partnerships. This update followed an interim report submitted in February 2026, which detailed how South Africa’s immigration system had been sold to the highest bidder, with officials earning less than R25 000 per month allegedly receiving over R16.3 million in direct deposits. The SIU described…

A Mtubatuba man has been arrested for allegedly trying to kill a dog by throwing it from a bridge into water with a heavy weight tied around its neck. The accused appeared in the Mtubatuba Magistrates’ Court earlier this week, according to the National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA). The NSPCA’s Samanta Stelli said a witness at the Siyabonga Tourism Centre saw the accused holding a brown dog by a blue-and-white rope, violently kicking it before hurling the animal off a bridge into the St Lucia Estuary below last month. “A boat operator at the Siyabonga Jetty subsequently found the dog struggling to swim in the estuary. After pulling the animal to safety, she removed a heavy weight that had been tied around its…

The search continues for suspects following a triple murder shooting in Gugulethu on Monday night. Three people, including a woman, sustained multiple gunshot wounds at about 8.22pm. Provincial police spokesperson André Traut said the shooting took place at a residence in Nontulo Street, New Cross. “SAPS members responded to a complaint in Nontulo Street, New Cross, where they discovered the bodies of two victims, a male and a female, inside a residence. “Both had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the head and upper body. A third male victim was found outside the premises with a gunshot wound to the back of his head. The deceased males were aged 33 and 46,” Traut said. The motive for the attack forms part of the ongoing police investigation. Traut said the matter has…

Bayern Munich veteran Manuel Neuer is saddling up tonights Real Madrid quarter-final second leg at home in what could be his final season before riding off into the sunset. Though not the risk-hungry, 'sweeper keeper' of his prime, the two-time Champions League winner was outstanding in Bayern’s 2-1 first-leg victory in Madrid. Named player of the match, Neuer made nine saves and succeeded in keeping Real’s danger men Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior at bay, for the most part. Neuer, who turned 40 in March, has a contract in Munich until the end of the season. Bayern seem willing to offer their long-time ‘keeper and captain another year, but Neuer has repeatedly said he is still weighing up his future. The 2014 World Cup winner has struggled with muscle injuries…

A week may seem like a long time in politics, but in professional football it may seem like an eternity. Seven days ago, Gavin Hunt was lamenting a first Betway Premiership defeat since joining Stellenbosch FC at the beginning of the year. Hunt, though, can console himself that he still has a job, unlike Eric Tinkler who was dismissed as head coach at Sekhukhune United on Monday. In reality, the two coaches experienced the exact same results in their last five League matches, having each one won, lost one, and drawn three. Tinkler’s dismissal at Sekhukhune, however, reflects more the ambitions of the respective clubs ahead of their Betway Premiership encounter at Athlone Stadium on Friday (6:30pm start). The Sekhukhune top brass had issued Tinkler with clear mandate at the…