Table of contents for 2021-04-30 in DFA News

Sandi Kwon Hoo CHIEF REPORTER RESIDENTS who were supposed to be evicted from the King Senare Forestview shacks near Soul City in 2018 held a celebration braai on Freedom Day after they received erf allocation certificates and were promised that they would have access to electricity as soon as next month. The residents refused to be relocated to Ivory Park despite an eviction order that was granted to Sol Plaatje Municipality in October 2019, which instructed that all unlawful occupiers in King Senare Street should vacate the land. Community member Abel Sebeela stated that none of the 61 affected residents had moved to Ivory Park, where at the time residents complained that the site was too close to the railway line, was situated too far away from schools and that…

THE NORTHERN Cape provincial government yesterday entered into a memorandum of agreement with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the R15 million that will be used for flood relief in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District and Covid-19 relief. Infrastructure was damaged while many residents were left destitute following heavy rains that fell in the Province during December and January. The relief funds will be administered by the church throughout the Province, together with provincial government. The memorandum of agreement was signed by Northern Cape Premier Dr Zamani Saul, the MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Bentley Vass, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.…

Reuters NAIROBI – The raging state of the Covid-19 pandemic in India is a wake-up call for Africa that its governments and citizens must not let their guards down, the African Union’s disease control agency warned yesterday. African nations generally do not have a sufficient number of healthcare workers, hospital beds and oxygen supplies, and the continent of 1.3 billion would be even more overwhelmed than India if cases surged in a similar way, said John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. “We are watching with total disbelief... What is happening in India cannot be ignored by our continent,” he said. Nkengasong urged Africans to wear masks and avoid large gatherings, warning: “We cannot and should not find ourselves in (India’s) scenario because of…

Supplied ONLINE social networking services have become part of our daily lives. Social media is used by businesses for marketing purposes, but also by individuals for social networking. You may use social media to keep in touch with friends and update others on events in your life, or to keep on top of news. Although these activities offer many benefits, they also present numerous legal challenges. One such challenge is the risk of being sued for defamation. Defamation is the intentional and wrongful publication of a statement concerning one person which has the effect of injuring that person’s reputation. To constitute a verbal injury, the words uttered (the comments/posts published) must impair the person’s dignity and be insulting in the sense that they must amount to degrading, humiliating or…

Kailene Pillay THE ZONDO Commission was yesterday criticised for treating President Cyril Ramaphosa with "kid gloves" during his first appearance at the State Capture Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday. Ramaphosa was speaking at the Zondo Commission on behalf of the ANC, where he faced questions on the ANC's cadre deployment strategy. However, while most expected Ramaphosa to face tough and straight-forward questions about his knowledge of state capture and his intentions to deal with it, political analyst Bheki Mngomezulu said he was left disappointed with the Commission. Commenting on Ramaphosa’s appearance on Wednesday, Mngomezulu said evidence-leader advocate Paul Pretorius and Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo missed the opportunity to ask Ramaphosa questions about former President Jacob Zuma and his role in state capture. “Ramaphosa was deputising for Jacob Zuma at…

Sandi Kwon Hoo CHIEF REPORTER ONLY “life or death” surgeries are being performed at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital (RMSH) in Kimberley, apparently due to a lack of oxygen and clean water supplies. Reliable sources stated that oxygen supplies had run out, where there was not sufficient oxygen for ventilators for Covid-19 patients and narcotic machines, despite millions of rand being allocated for Covid-19 support in the Province in March. The waiting list for elective and emergency surgeries and beds is increasing, while there was reported to be a shortage of beds for Covid-19 patients. “Patients are suffering and lives are at stake,” the sources said. It was also stated that medical staff, doctors and nurses were “burnt out” due to a lack of staff, support and resources. Notices were put…

Mayibongwe Maqhina STAFF WRITER THE HEALTH Department has said that the modelling for the Covid-19 third wave indicates that it will not be worse than the second wave. Briefing the health portfolio committee this week, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said the work on modelling for the third wave was under way. “Everything about it remains uncertain – basically when it is to arise, how bad it is – although there are indications it is unlikely to be worse than the second wave,” Mkhize said. “Nevertheless, what we would like is a situation where we vaccinate as many people as possible without really being troubled, worrying about the next wave.” Responding to questions from MPs, Mkhize warned that although they did not have the exact timing for the third wave, it…

Neville Motlhabakwe DE AAR, the 119 year-old former railway junction town in the Northern Cape, last week unveiled a spanking new multimillion-rand sports facility compliments of a China-based solar energy producer in the area, CHN-Longyuan Mulilo. The complex consists of an artificial turf soccer field with netted goal posts, and four spanking new, galvanised iron seating areas for fans. At the back of the stands are new ablution blocks with well laid out change rooms for competing teams. There are also four tartan surface courts which can interchangeably be used as netball, tennis or volleyball courts. The complex which is worth R10 million, was also renamed after its immediate neighbourhood, the Merino Park sports complex. CHN-Longyuan Mulilo director of socio-economic development Fay Cassim explained that the idea for the…

Morgan Bolton in Johannesbgurg THE LIONS start their Rainbow Cup SA campaign against the Bulls this weekend at Loftus Versfeld. Here we look at three players to watch from the Joburg-based team who could set the tournament alight in the coming weeks. Tiaan Swanepoel Until early 2020, Swanepoel was doing odd jobs in Australia, playing club rugby and without a professional contract. How quickly his fortunes have changed since making his debut last year for the Lions against the Jaguares ... The 24-year-old will have a much larger and more important role to fulfil in the coming weeks, whether it be at fullback or flyhalf, especially now that Elton Jantjies will not be playing for the Lions for at least the next three weeks. It is not yet clear where…

Morgan Bolton THE ONLY good thing to come out of Valterri Bottas' drive at Imola a fortnight ago, was that Mercedes were able to salvage his wrecked car's engine. In a meeting of the incumbent Bottas and future Silver Arrows driver George Russell's vehicles at the circuit, harsh words were exchanged, the Brit slapping the Finn on the helmet moments after the shunt, and received a middle finger in kind. It was not either driver's finest hour, especially Williams' Russell. Bottas hasn’t had a good season so far, even though it has only been two races, and many will argue he has not had a good career at Mercedes either. The Finn has won only nine GPs for the Silver Arrows, compared to the 42 and four world championships of…

Benida Phillips staff reporter A MULTIDISCIPLINARY operation involving the Northern Cape Hawks, Crime Intelligence, Tactical Response Team, Kimberley Flying Squad and K9 unit led to the arrest of eight suspects for allegedly dealing in drugs. Hawks provincial spokesperson Nomthandao Mnisi said that the arrests followed after information was received about a syndicate dealing in drugs in three different residential areas in Kimberley. “This major investigation started in July 2019 after information was received about a syndicate dealing in narcotics in Galeshewe, Roodepan and Beaconsfield. The team spent several months monitoring the activities of the group. During the course of the investigation, eleven undercover transactions were made with the members of the syndicate. Mandrax and tik to the value of R471 000 were allegedly purchased from the syndicate members,” said Mnisi.…

Sihle Mavuso CONTRARY to speculation that either yesterday or today the country would see all ANC leaders that have been criminally charged stepping aside, this will not likely happen for at least another week. This as the list of leaders who have to step aside, as submitted by the nine provinces, is yet to go through the NWC (national working committee) and later to the NEC (national executive committee) for final ratification. This was revealed by ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe yesterday on being asked when exactly the members have to step aside and who they are. Mabe said that while he was not sure of the exact date of stepping aside, the final list, which would come from the office of the secretary-general Ace Magashule, still has to be…

Vernon Mchunu CIVIC bodies and labour unions are today due to announce drastic moves that seek to bolster their campaign for the extension and increase of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. The R350 grant, first announced in April last year when the effects of the Covid-19-related hard lockdown hit hard on livelihoods, is expected to end today. President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended it twice already, in July last year and later in January this year for a further three months. Veteran civic organisation Black Sash and the #PayTheGrants advocacy group said in a joint statement that they would be joined by faith-based organisations and trade unions to announce major action in an attempt to pressure the government to keep and increase the grant. “The grant should be increased…

Benida Phillips STAFF REPORTER BUSINESS operations and traffic leading into the town of Prieska came to a halt yesterday as angry community members barricaded roads with burning tyres and parked cars to highlight their grievances concerning planned mining operations by Orion Minerals. The protesting residents shut down all roads leading into the town in an angry response to a planned site visit by Orion Minerals mine management. They threatened to bring the entire town to a standstill should mine management and Siyathemba Municipality not adhere to their grievances. “We have closed the Copperton road, the road to De Aar and Kimberley and the road to Niekerkshoop. Nobody will be allowed to come into or out of town - including those employed at the solar plant and wind farm or any…

Ashfak Mohamed in Cape Town The British and Irish Lions tour is regarded as the big carrot for South African rugby, considering the knocks taken during the Covid-19 pandemic over the last year. About R1.2-billion was shaved off local rugby’s expenses last year, with salary cuts and competitions abandoned, while contracts were also affected. So, the fact that the Lions tour will take place is a huge relief to SA Rugby. Now the nitty-gritty of that trip is being worked out, with the latest report from the Daily Mail newspaper in the UK stating that, to maximise profit, two of the three Tests could be played at the FNB Stadium, which is the biggest arena in South Africa at 95 000 capacity. The report said that this plan of action comes…

Ashfak Mohamed in Cape Town After making his Test debut in 2018 already, Embrose Papier may have thought that he would be a regular Springbok by now. But the reality is that, having turned 24 last Sunday, he is not even the first-choice No.9 at the Bulls. There are a number of reasons for that, chiefly being a lack of opportunity. Despite impressing in his first Bok start against Scotland in November 2018, Papier has not been entrusted with the No.9 jersey for either club or country. Perhaps it’s because South African coaches tend to be conservative in nature, and prefer to have ‘kicking scrumhalves’ instead of ones who look for the break first before anything else. It would be doing a disservice to Papier to describe him as only…