Table of contents for 2021-09-23 in DFA News

Boipelo Mere STAFF REPORTER CITY residents have accused the Northern Cape provincial government of “blatant disrespect” for its citizens after learning of the existence of a “Covid-19 shelter for the poor” that was erected at the entrance of Lerato Park. The residents have labelled the structure “a community prison” and a “pigsty”, which they say is “meant to suffocate helpless people who are already expected to be suffering from shortness of breath due to Covid-19”. The residents demanded clarity from the government as to what exactly the structure is, how much was spent on it and how many people are expected to be housed in it. The structure, which has been stationed in the area for about a month, has only two small windows and a door in the front…

Sandi Kwon Hoo THE COMMISSION for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has ordered Bics Engineering Supplies to pay employees outstanding leave pay to the amount of R25 425 by next month. The workers were employed on the multimillion-rand upgrade and extension of the Warrenton Water Treatment Works plant. The workers were hired on fixed-term contracts from June 5, 2020 to May 25, 2021. According to the award that was issued this month, the CCMA commissioner of the building and construction sector, Zipporah Ngwenya, stated that he was compelled to accept the claim of the applicants – Gilbert Ntloe and 13 others – that they were entitled to the payment of their accumulated leave. “Considering their daily rates and number of leave days accumulated, I see how they arrive at the…

Lance Fredericks HAS ANYONE noticed that successful swindles are not complete lies, they are based on at least a morsel of truth. These days especially, with the rise in online scams – phishing, smishing and those dating and romance scams – people have become more wary, alert and less inclined to fall for a smooth-tongued trickster. So fraudsters have to up their game, change their angles and adapt their strategy so as to hook their victims … After all, even skelms believe they are making a ‘legitimate’ income doing what they do. At least that’s what they tell themselves. But as I said earlier, some elaborate scams have crumbs of truth. Take the story of the emperor’s new clothes, an old favourite fairytale by Hans Christian Anderson published in the…

Logan Marshall STAFF WRITER BEING a ’’pretty thick guy’’, former US president Donald Trump did not want to build a golf course in Africa because he was too scared of lions, a new book claims. Trump, who was surprised that lions couldn’t jump over high fences, revealed his fear of lions during a round of golf with South African legend Gary Player, a nine-time Major champion, according to revelations in Peril, a book authored by Bob Woodward, an associate editor at The Washington Post, and Robert Costa, which went on sale on Tuesday. The conversation took place as Player tried to help Trump with his swing. Player then reportedly encouraged Trump to expand his golf and hotel empire to Africa. However, Trump was not impressed with the idea, the book…

Sandi Kwon Hoo chief reporter THREE senior officials and one former official from the Northern Cape Department of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, who were arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team yesterday, will remain in custody until their next court appearance. The four accused – former HOD Patrick Seboko, 66, chief financial officer (CFO) Kuberin Packirisamy, 60, senior project team manager Tebogo Basil Gaborone, 46, and chief director of trade and sector development Lizette Wyngaard, 56, – appeared in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court yesterday on charges of contravening the Diamond Act as well as the Public Finance Management Act. Their case was postponed to today for a formal bail application. Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Philani Nkwalase said the State had not opposed bail. “The case had to be rolled…

Reuters THE US government aims to begin offering Covid-19 vaccine booster shots widely next week to Americans age 16 and up. A panel of outside advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted against such broad coverage on Friday last week but backed a shot for people 65 and older, which the agency may or may not follow. President Joe Biden's administration faces criticism within the scientific community over whether the additional shots are needed for the general population. WHAT DOES THE DATA SAY ABOUT THE NEED FOR BOOSTERS? Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech, as well as rival vaccine maker Moderna Inc, have each presented analyses of clinical trial data showing that the effectiveness of their shots, initially estimated at over 90% against symptomatic Covid-19 infection, wanes over…

Sandi Kwon Hoo chief repoter WORKERS at Phokwane Local Municipality threw piles of trash in front of the municipal offices yesterday as they demanded their salaries and salary increases. A bulldozer was also used to move bags of refuse to block the entrance of the premises. The offices were closed. The workers are concerned that they will not be paid tomorrow, as the keys to the office of the acting municipal manager, Kealeboga Gaborone, were confiscated last week to prevent her from entering the office. “The acting municipal manager is the only person permitted to sign off the payrolls. If we do not get answers by the end of Wednesday, we will intensify our actions,” said the angry workers. “We do not want the municipality to be looted, so officials…

Loyiso Sidimba staff writer THE Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) has registered over two dozen new political parties in just over a month between August and September, ahead of the local government elections in November. The 32 parties were registered between August 4 and September 16, according to the IEC’s general notice published in the Government Gazette on Tuesday. All but four have registered to contest the municipal polls, while the others have enrolled to challenge for power nationally. Some of the newly-registered political parties which are vying for power in the hotly-contested municipalities are the Mandela Bay Community Movement in the Eastern Cape, and the Metsimaholo Progressive People’s Forum in the Free State. Metsimaholo is the municipality that voted for a mayor from the SA Communist Party after forming…

Staff Reporter RECIPIENTS of the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant can now collect their benefit from Pick n Pay and Boxer stores nationwide from Wednesday. This is, however, only open to grant recipients who have received an SMS from the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) confirming their collection payout point as either Pick n Pay or Boxer. Applications for this SRD grant opened on August 6 to benefit unemployed citizens, most of whom lost their jobs when Covid-19 struck in 2020. “Pick n Pay and Boxer are proud to assist grant beneficiaries access their funds more conveniently and safely, ensuring they receive much-needed relief quicker than before,” said Pick n Pay’s head of Omnichannel, John Bradshaw. Pick n Pay collection points exclude BP Pick n Pay Express,…

Boipelo Mere STAFF WRITER THE CUSTOM-built EnergyDRIVE truck wrapped up its three-week journey in the Springbok area this month by informing pupils at Okiep High school about Renewable Energy Technologies. The drive formed part of the Kangnas Wind Farm’s community education programme, which has a keen focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. The edu-vehicle, which features a solar roof structure, biogas digester, photovoltaic panel display unit and a solar hot-water display unit, aimed to provide a fun and impactful way for pupils to grasp the benefits and uses of renewable energy technologies. The economic development manager at Kangnas Wind Farm, Cheryl Persensie, said the truck’s container features attractive interactive demonstration models, which assist with understanding a range of renewable technologies and raising awareness of renewable power resources…

Sandi Kwon Hoo chief reporter CRIMINAL charges have been opened after the water supply was disrupted at Pampierstad clinics this week Pampierstad resident and member of the Phokwane Service Delivery Forum, Michael Castro Sethlogomi said that a stab wound patient was turned away from the clinic on Tuesday. “Not all patients have access to their own transport and the nearest health facility from Pampierstad is 15 kilometres away, in Hartswater,” Sethlogomi explained yesterday. “Security was only allowing maternity patients who were going into labour to enter the premises on Tuesday. The gates were shut and no one was permitted entry.” According to a notice that was issued by Sedibeng Water, Pampierstad, as well as Sakhile, lower Majeakgoro, upper Majaekgoro, Mountain View, and Sekhing, routine maintenance would be conducted on the canals…

BUSINESS REPORT WRITER SOUTH Africa is ranked as Africa’s third most attractive investment destination, according to the Where to Invest in Africa 2021 report from RMB. The report showed that Egypt is Africa’s top investment destination with Morocco following in second place. Rounding up the top five are Rwanda and Botswana in fourth and fifth positions respectively. The positive global sentiment that saw the year 2020 in was short-lived when Covid-19 and lockdown legislation demanded a new sociological construct that changes the work-life balance. The pandemic brought into sharp focus the vast disparities in access to basic health and well-being services across countries. It was also a catalyst for the adoption and utilisation of technology as a means of communication. RMB Africa economist Daniel Kavishe said the 2021 report assesses…

Staff Reporter MORE arrests are imminent in the case involving two Northern Cape police officers believed to be part of a syndicate allegedly using police blue lights to stop motorists and rob them, say the Hawks. The alleged incidents took place along the N14 near Kuruman in the Northern Cape in July and August 2020. Police officers Sergeant Monageng Joy Makoke, 37, and Constable Walter Setidisho, 31, appeared in the Mothibistad Regional Court on Tuesday facing an assortment of charges including armed robbery, two counts of attempted murder and kidnapping. While their case was postponed to September 28 for a formal bail application, the Hawks were confident that more suspects will join them behind bars. Makoke and Setidisho were arrested on Monday by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation…

Business report writer THE NATIONAL Minimum Wage Commission has invited all interested parties to submit written representations concerning possible adjustments to the national minimum wage (NMW) for 2022. These representations will be considered by the commission before it publishes its annual report and recommendations on the annual review of the national minimum wage later in the year. In February, the NMW for each ordinary hour worked was increased from R20.76 to R21.69 for the year 2021. The NMW legislation in South Africa originally came into effect in January 2019 at a level of R20 per hour. In considering the annual adjustment, the NMW Commission said it took into account inflation, the cost of living and the need to retain the value of the minimum wage; gross domestic product; wage levels…

Given Majola business report writer WITH the summer planting season approaching, farmers are getting more desperate to obtain access to financing, potentially threatening production, says the Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai), an agricultural interest network for farmers. Board chairperson Dr Theo de Jager and Saai chief executive Francois Rossouw said agricultural financing remained one of the toughest challenges for farmers in South Africa amid the Land Bank’s financial woes. “While most people will remember 2020 as the year of disasters such as the Covid-19 pandemic, fires and drought, farmers will remember it as the year the Land Bank collapsed, leaving them in a financing vacuum,” said Saai. Last month, Bloomberg reported that South Africa’s largest lender to farmers was asking creditors to approve a split of its operations in two…

Julie Steenhuysen Reuters CHICAGO – Johnson & Johnson said this week that a second shot of its Covid-19 vaccine given about two months after the first increased its effectiveness to 94% in the United States against moderate to severe forms of the disease. That compares to 70% protection with a single dose. The data will help J&J make its case to US regulators for a booster shot even as the company stresses the durability of its single-shot vaccine as a tool to ease the global pandemic. The company has now "generated evidence that a booster shot further increases protection against Covid-19," Dr Paul Stoffels, J&J’s chief scientific officer, said in a statement. J&J said a booster given two months after the first dose increased antibody levels four- to six-fold. When given…

Dudley Carstens in Cape Town THE 100th match between the Springboks and the All Blacks should have been a grand affêre. Special kits, former players at the game, daai tipe ding – something that celebrates the rivalry for the big sporting event it is. It’s a rivalry that kicked off in 1921 when Boy Morkel led the Springboks at Carisbrook, Dunedin, for the first time. Ironic that exactly 100 years later, the two teams will play their 100th Test. Anyway, on that day New Zealand beat South Africa 13-5. They would go on to win 59 of the 99 Tests played to date, with South Africa only winning 36. Four matches were drawn, so that gives South Africa a win percentage of 36 percent. Most recently the Springboks’ record…

Mihlali Baleka BORN in a footballing family, Rhulani Mokwena’s allegiance with one of the country’s elite clubs, Orlando Pirates, runs deep. His paternal lineage, which includes his grandfather, father and uncle, has a strong affiliation with the Soweto-based club. The Sono trio embraced the famous black and white jersey of Pirates during their respective generations as players. Jomo Sono once left his bride, Gail, at the altar in 1979 to help the team overturn a 2-0 deficit as they won 4-2 against Highlands Park. Unlike his elders, Mokwena did not play at the highest level and fell in love with coaching at a young age. He cut his coaching teeth at the now defunct Silver Stars before landing at Mamelodi Sundowns. Mokwena has often described his decision to branch off…