Stellenbosch University researchers have received threats arising out of the meat-labelling scandal.

Cape Town - Stellenbosch University researchers have received threats arising out of the meat-labelling scandal.

The fallout has caused major problems for academic researchers in South Africa, says Harris Steinman, co-author of the study.

Steinman, the director of Food and Allergy Consulting and Testing Services (FACTS) at Stellenbosch University, was reluctant to go into detail, saying only: “We have received legal threats from companies based on the research.”

The study, published in February, revealed that much of the meat sold in supermarkets contained meat other than that specified on the label. Some of the country’s top retailers had been implicated in the scandal.

Steinman said some Stellenbosch University researchers were now reluctant to continue with their studies, fearing that companies could sue them or the university for loss of earnings, among other charges.

“This has made it very difficult for researchers trying to test consumer-related issues in the country. Due to the legal threats, it will be left to only those who are brave enough to do it.”

He said the study had never been intended for the retailers to be identified. But chains including Shoprite and Pick n Pay were fingered after Media24 used the Promotion of Access to Information Act to gain access to the Stellenbosch study results.

Pick n Pay has stated that some of the details of the research report were not accurate.

“We believe ongoing research is critical… however, no donkey, water buffalo, horse or goat was found in any of our products,” said spokeswoman Tamra Veley. “We have not heard anything about the legal threats.”

The Shoprite Group has distanced itself from Steinman’s report of threats.

“The Shoprite Group has no knowledge of any company which may or may not have lodged legal threats against the researchers and has no comment on the matter,” said spokeswoman Sarita van Wyk.

The Fruit and Veg City Group has also distanced itself from the threats.

“We have definitely never threatened any legal action and have gone to great lengths to be respectful to FACTS, which conducted the product analysis, and grateful that they agreed to give us the test results,” said managing director Brian Coppin.

Imraahn Ismail-Mukaddam of Consumer Fair said that whoever was threatening the researchers was “acting contrary to the interests of the consumer”.

The organisation has called for criminal charges to be laid.

A three-month investigation is being conducted by the portfolio committees of health, agriculture, and trade and industry.

sibusisiwe.lwandle@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

The Grade 8 and 9 classrooms at Intlanganiso Secondary school in Khayelitsha burned down.

Cape Town - The Grade 8 and 9 classrooms at Intlanganiso Secondary school in Khayelitsha burned down on Tuesday night, forcing nearly 100 pupils to take their lessons in the school laboratories on Wednesday.

It is unclear what caused the fire.

Principal Mntuwekhaya Tshemese said: “On the early evening of Tuesday I was called and told the entire school was on fire. When I arrived there were pupils, community members and fire brigade outside the school. The flames were very high.”

He was certain the fire could not have been started by an electrical fault, because the affected classrooms had no electrical wiring.

“Last year, vandals stole the wiring cables, so there was no electricity in three classrooms. There was only one power point and nothing was connected.”

One classroom was roofless and ruined, with charred desks and books strewn across the floor, all sodden by the pouring rain.

“I’m using the laboratories as classrooms and don’t know when the original classrooms will be fixed,” Tshemese said.

There are 48 pupils in each class and 1 256 in the school overall.

Bronagh Casey, spokeswoman for Education MEC Donald Grant, said the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage were unknown: “Three classrooms were affected, but two classrooms cannot be utilised at this stage. One classroom has been completely destroyed by the fire, one classroom was damaged as the ceiling had caved in, and a classroom below experienced water damage but can now be utilised.”

natasha.bezuidenhout@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Former Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown said he felt vindicated that a court had found him guilty on only two fraud counts.

Cape Town - Former Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown on Thursday said he felt vindicated that a court had found him guilty on only two fraud counts.

"I've been vindicated in many respects... and this ends a very long and unpleasant chapter in my life," he said outside the Western Cape High Court.

Judge Anton Veldhuizen found him guilty of defrauding the Transport Education and Training Authority and the Mantadia Asset Trust Company (Matco).

He was acquitted on seven other charges of corruption, money-laundering, theft, and fraud.

"If you remember, this saga started six years ago... I was running the biggest pyramid scheme in the history of this country, I had stolen billions (of rands), I had smuggled it offshore, and in fact, originally I was arrested on 197 counts," Brown said.

"Being found guilty on two technical, statutory offences, yes they do carry minimum sentences, but I do believe the judge will take all the factors into account when he eventually sentences me."

Brown said neither he nor Fidentia would ever be held responsible for things they had not done.

“We are satisfied the admissions (made by Brown) are sufficient for conviction,” Veldhuizen said.

“At this stage, I do not find it necessary to elaborate on the exact basis for this.”

Brown’s bail of R1 million was extended and he was told to return to court on April 29, for sentencing arguments.

Outside court, prosecutor Jannie van Vuuren said he was relieved the trial was almost over and thanked the police and the Financial Services Board for their support.

He also praised Brown for his willingness to find a resolution in the matter.

“It is definitely a relief. I think there is a massive cost-saving effect as well in terms of continuing with it. We called five of a potential 50 witnesses so far so it could have dragged on for quite a while still,” van Vuuren said.

“The accused also made a huge contribution to the matter by negotiating with the State and being willing to settle the matter in the way we settled it.”

Brown handed in an admissions document last week in relation to the two fraud charges he was convicted on, but the court had misgivings about the strengths of the admissions.

He then handed in an altered admissions document which the court accepted on Wednesday.

He initially admitted that Fidentia did not have enough liquid cash at the time of purchase, but that it had enough assets in the form of negotiable instruments.

He also admitted that Fidentia had misrepresented itself by saying the full purchase price for Matco would be paid before it took control.

The admission statement handed in on Wednesday included the terms of the purchase agreement and made it clear that the purchaser had to have “immediately available funds”.

“Fidentia and I misrepresented that Fidentia was able to do so and thereby induced the shareholders of Matco to enter into the agreement and sell their shares to Fidentia,” Brown said in the altered document.

He admitted that Fidentia took control of Matco in October 2004, before full payment was made to all shareholders, contradictory to the terms of the agreement.

Accepting personal responsibility, he said he ordered the transfer of R69 million from the Matco account to Fidentia, which would later be used to pay the remainder of the Matco purchase price.

“The above actions amounted to a misrepresentation of the true facts in respect of the sale of share agreement and the method and time of payment.... My actions were unlawful and constituted fraud by way of dolus eventualis (indirect intent).”

The minimum sentence for fraud is 15 years in jail, unless extenuating circumstances can be proved. - Sapa

The report of an alleged attack on a baboon with a pit bull and a pole with a nail in it is “completely wrong”, say those who were involved.

Cape Town - The report on an incident at Castle Rock involving an alleged attack on a baboon by a pit bull and a pole with a nail in it, is “completely wrong” and gives totally the wrong impression, say those who were involved.

An angry Rosalind Bean-Bolnick, owner of the property Blue Gums where the incident happened, and her son Jeremy Bean, owner of the pit bull named Oscar, contacted the Cape Argus to set the record straight after a report in Tuesday’s editions.

The report was based on a record of the incident in the report last month by baboon management service provider Human Wildlife Solutions (HWS) to the authorities.

“In our opinion the report is completely wrong and the circumstances were very different,” Bean said.

“The baboon was in the house and basically the fight started on the property. They (dog and baboon) rolled down into the road and Joe (his friend Joe Heywood) and myself were desperately trying to get them apart. We did everything we could.”

Explaining the stick with a nail, Bean said Heywood had pulled a stave from the fence to use as a tool to separate the fighting animals.

“That was literally a piece of the fence. He just ripped it off in the heat of the moment and he was actually beating my dog with it, not the baboon, and he wasn’t using the side with the nail. We were trying to resolve the situation and it was touch-and-go between the animals.”

The unfortunate perception had been created that they were the same as gangsters who set their pit bulls on baboons, Bean said.

“It comes across that there was this cruelty element when there clearly wasn’t, and unfortunately we’ve been painted with the same brush.”

This was confirmed by Heywood, who said it appeared that two separate incidents involving a pit bull and a baboon had become conflated.

“We also care (about baboons) and we were trying to sort out the incident, we definitely weren’t out to attack the baboon.”

Bean-Bolnick said they’d enjoyed an amicable relationship with baboons at Blue Glums over more than a decade, and she denied ignoring a request from the monitors not to leave dog food outside, as stated in the report.

She confirmed that Oscar had got a very firm grip on the baboon during the fight but said this had been on its tracking collar and not on the animal itself.

“I was shocked when I read the report. That baboon was back two weeks later, sitting on top of my house as relaxed as can be, and there wasn’t a mark on him. Why would he be back if such a terrible thing had happened to him?”

She pointed out that her husband, Joel Bolnick, was chairman of the Castle Rock Conservancy that promoted conservation in the area, including of the baboons.

john.yeld@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

A breakdown in communication between employers and unions could see Golden Arrow bus drivers go on strike.

Cape Town - A breakdown in communication between employers and unions could see Golden Arrow bus drivers go on strike at midnight.

This, Golden Arrow’s human resources department warned, would bring the service to a standstill.

Meko Magida, human resources executive for Golden Arrow, referring to labour’s demand for an 18 percent increase in wages, said: “(The demands) are excessive and unrealistic…”

However, Antonio Franks, general secretary for the Transport and Omnibus Workers Union (Towu), called Magida’s statement “disingenuous”. He said that he had been mandated by his members, over 1 600 employees of Golden Arrow, to accept a Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) proposal that was tabled last week. The proposal is for, among other things, a 9 percent pay hike. Thursday is the last day for both employers and unions to respond to the proposal.

Assaria Mataboge, national sector co-ordinator for the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu), said that the union would today source final comments from its Western Cape branch and the 600 Golden Arrow employees which it represents.

”I must, however, add, the fact that Golden Arrow is pre-empting a strike on Friday is for us an indication that the employers have written off the CCMA’s offer. They have not been negotiating in good faith,” said Mataboge.

daneel.knoetze@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Three people have been arrested in the Western Cape in connection with perlemoen (abalone) crimes.

Cape Town - Three people have been arrested in the Western Cape in connection with perlemoen (abalone) crimes, the fisheries department said.

Spokeswoman Carol Moses said the group was found with 21 742 perlemoen at a processing facility near Atlantis on Wednesday night.

The Hawks and SA Revenue Service officials confiscated the perlemoen, three walk-in freezers, and fishing gear.

“This incident forms part of an ongoing investigation into illegal abalone fishing activities and syndication,” she said.

The three would appear in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court later on Thursday. - Sapa

Cosatu has rejected the DA's claims that the ANC was not supporting moves to oppose tolling in the Western Cape.

 Cape Town - Cosatu on Thursday rejected the DA's claims that the ANC was not supporting moves to oppose tolling in the Western Cape.

 "The position of the ANC in (the Cape Town) council was that we wanted further negotiations on the toll road issues, not running to court with wasting of millions of rands as the first option, so we opposed the court case," Congress of SA Trade Unions Western Cape secretary Tony Ehrenreich said.

 "We as the ANC and Cosatu are both unhappy about toll roads and Cosatu will be launching a campaign against it."

 Democratic Alliance Western Cape leader Ivan Meyer said in a statement on Wednesday that Ehrenreich led the ANC caucus in Cape Town to vote against the decision to oppose the SA National Roads Agency Limited's proposed tolls in court.

 "Mr Ehrenreich claims he cannot recall voting against the DA-led City of Cape Town's decision to fight tolls," Meyer said.

 "Minutes of city of Cape Town council meetings show Mr Ehrenreich to be untruthful and hypocritical."

 Meyer claimed the ANC abstained from voting for the city's recommendation that the intergovernmental dispute around toll roads be extended to the national ministers of transport and environmental affairs.

 They also opposed the city's plan to oppose the tolling in a portfolio committee meeting for transport, roads, and stormwater.

 "Mr Ehrenreich toes the ANC line of supporting tolls in council, but schizophrenically tells the public Cosatu is opposing the tolls," Meyer said.

 "The public must not be fooled by politicians like Mr Ehrenreich who want to save face for the ANC while his party uses national government to empty ordinary people's pockets with expensive tolls."

 Ehrenreich said the DA had wasted money on legal matters.

 "The real issues of difference between the DA and Cosatu are in the funding model, as that essentially is what toll roads are about," he said.

 "We want the super wealthy to be taxed more, to pay for roads and other infrastructure. These super rich are, however, mainly DA members." - Sapa

Cape Town - The Financial Services Board (FSB) is satisfied with the fraud conviction of former Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown on Thursday, spokeswoman Tembisa Marele said.

“Today's judgment (in the Western Cape High Court) serves to clear the FSB and its officials of these wide-ranging allegations,” she said in a statement.

“It also sends a message to the public that crime indeed does not pay, regardless of how long it takes to arrive at a conviction.”

Marele said that during Brown's trial many accusations had been made about the FSB.

“In fact, so dedicated was this smear campaign that the regulator was portrayed as one resembling a crime syndicate, among other accusations,” she said.

In September 2011, Business Day reported that Brown had laid a complaint with the Public Protector accusing the FSB of gross misconduct and corruption.

He claimed the board misrepresented Fidentia's financial position in order to substantiate its bid to place it under curatorship, according to the newspaper.

“The losses suffered by the investors in Fidentia Asset Management are a direct result of an attempt by officers of the FSB to conceal their own corruption, by fabricating evidence and laying the blame at my door,” Brown was quoted as saying in his complaint to the protector at the time.

On Thursday, Brown was found guilty on two counts of fraud relating to dealings with the Transport Education and Training Authority and the Mantadia Asset Trust Company.

He was acquitted on seven other charges of corruption, money-laundering, theft, and fraud.

His bail of R1 million was extended and he was told to return to court on April 29, for sentencing arguments. - Sapa

More than 70 people burnt tyres and threw stones at passing cars on the N2 highway during a service delivery protest in Cape Town.

Cape Town - More than 70 people burnt tyres and threw stones at passing cars on the N2 highway during a service delivery protest in Cape Town on Thursday, Western Cape police said.

Colonel Tembinkosi Kinana said police received information about the protest at 7am.

The protesters were primarily from Langa and Philippi East.

Kinana said police dispersed the protesters. However, they later began protesting on Lansdowne Road.

“No injuries were reported and police are monitoring the situation,” he said. - Sapa

The cross-examination of Thandi Maqubela, accused of the alleged murder of her husband acting judge Patrick Maqubela has ended.

Cape Town - The cross-examination of Thandi Maqubela, accused of the alleged murder of her husband acting judge Patrick Maqubela ended in the Western Cape High Court on Thursday.

Thandi Maqubela and her business associate Vela Mabena have pleaded not guilty before Judge John Murphy and assessor Danie Marais to the alleged murder.

Maqubela alone is also charged with fraud and forgery.

She is alleged to have forged her deceased husband's signature on a fake will, and to have presented it to the Johannesburg office of the Master of the High Court.

Maqubela and Mabena both claim that her husband died of natural causes, and deny that they suffocated him by placing a piece of plastic cling-wrap over his face in June, 2009, as alleged by the State.

The Master's Office, a division of the justice department dealing with insolvent and deceased estates, recorded the judge's death as “intestate”, meaning that he had died without leaving a last will and testament.

Maqubela told the court earlier that her husband's belongings were packed in cartons at his luxury Bantry Bay apartment, and moved to his Sandton home in Johannesburg.

It was only some months afterwards that two additional cartons arrived one night at the Sandton home.

The next day, she told the court, she opened the cartons and found books and documents, including her husband's signed will, which she then took to the Master's Office.

Prosecutor Bonnie Currie-Gamwo told the court his estate was worth R20 million. She alleged that the judge in fact died intestate, and that the will presented at the Master's Office was a forgery.

The case continues on Monday, when defence counsel Marius Broeksma will call a private pathologist to the witness stand. - Sapa

If you are white, you stand a very good chance of being in top management in the Western Cape, an EE report found.

Cape Town - If you are white, you stand a very good chance of being in top management in the Western Cape, a report by the Commission for Employment Equity (CEE) has found.

The 13th annual report states in the province white men occupy 65.5 percent and white women 14 percent of top management positions in government, business, NGOs and educational institutions, while only 7.8 percent of economically active men and 7 percent of women in the Western Cape are white.

The CEE found the Western Cape has the most representation of whites at top management than any of the nine provinces, but on average white males hold 57.8 percent and females 12.2 percent of top management posts across the country.

Premier Helen Zille said in response to the the report that it was “absolutely useless” as it lumped together all sectors of government, business, NGOs and education in its comparison of employment equity between provinces.

“It is absolutely useless, we can’t use it or draw any conclusions and it is impossible to check whether they are right or wrong,” she said. Last year, Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant called Zille’s provincial government the “worst performer” in employment equity.

Zille tried to pre-empt the release of the CEE report on Wednesday when she said the province was “absolutely not racist”. Her government’s statistics showed that 63 percent of its senior managers are either coloured or African.

CEE chairman Loyiso Mbabane wrote in the report that nationally the percentageof Africans, coloureds and Indians at top management level had declined between2010 and 2012, while that of whites went up.

He likened South Africa’s progress in terms of employment equity to a “drunkard’s walk from the bar”.

The report had found:

* Whites were recruited, skilled and promoted into senior and top management more than any other group.

* At senior management level, the highest percentage, or 47.7 percent, of all skills development went to white men.

* Last year, 47.4 percent of recruitments into top management targeted white men, 14.8 percent Africans, 3.7 percent coloureds and 5.6 percent Indians.

* In 2012, more white women (15.9 percent) were promoted into top management than black men (12.6 percent).

* The Western Cape was doing the best in terms of female representation, but white females were the next preferred group after white men at the senior management level in most provinces.

* Africans have the second-largest representation in all provinces, except Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal at senior management level.

* Coloureds may appear to be performing well in the Western Cape, Northern Cape and Eastern Cape, but much more must be done to increase their representation at management level.

* The Eastern Cape is doing the best of all provinces in terms of gender equity.

Mbabane said black men and women in top management positions had not yet flexed their muscle and their impact was not yet showing.

cobus.coetzee@inl.co.za

Cape Times

A doctor had to glue his nose back together. And that's just one reminder of Brett Archibald’s miraculous survival.

Cape Town - His nose was so badly lacerated that a doctor had to glue it back together. This was just one reminder of Brett Archibald’s miraculous survival after spending 28 hours floating and treading water in the sea off the coast of Indonesia.

Craig Jarvis, spokesman for All Aboard Travel – the local company which had arranged for the Camps Bay surfer and friends to surf some of the best spots around Indonesia – said that Archibald’s nose had been pecked to pieces by seagulls.

The 50-year-old surfer fell overboard from the charter boat Naga Laut, on which he and a group of friends were travelling between Padang Padang and the Mentawai Islands off the island of Sumatra.

The group, who have been friends since primary school, make the pilgrimage to surf Indonesia’s famous coastlines every two years.

But rough weather saw the boat rolling in the waves.

At about 4.30am on Wednesday, while the rest of the group were in the cabins below, either sleeping or battling sea sickness, Archibald went up on deck to relieve himself.

“Then I realised I was really seasick. I had two really big vomits, and then I think I blacked out while I was retching,” he told Surfing Life via satellite phone on Thursday.

When he regained consciousness he was floating in the white froth of the boat’s wake, watching his world sail away.

A few hours later his friends noticed he was missing and alerted the authorities.

Back in Cape Town, Archibald’s wife, Anita – and their two children, Zara, 10, and Jamie, 6 – knew something was wrong when the wife of one of the men onboard appeared at the front door early on Wednesday .

“When she told me what had happened my heart literally came out of my mouth… Your whole world just seems to slow down.”

But she did not give up hope, she said – she knew he was still out there.

Anita, her family and friends jumped into action, transforming the lounge of her Camps Bay home into an operations headquarters.

“We started contacting anyone who could help,” she said.

A call went out to all boats in the area off Indonesia to be on the look out for the surfer.

The National Sea Rescue Institute’s Craig Lambinon said the Indonesion Maritime Rescue Authorities – aided by the British maritime rescue organisation RNLI – the Australian maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Jakarta Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre and a host of private boats including yachts and fishing boats were included in the alert.

Unaware of the massive search operation, Archibald, who works with Awnmaster in Cape Town, admitted to Surfing Life that he had almost given up.

“The night was carnage. I had sharks swimming past me, I got stung by a jelly fish… Seagulls even tried to pick my eyes out, so I have big holes in my nose.

“It was insane, just insane. I actually gave up.

“I went under and said, ‘screw this, I can’t carry on’. But I couldn’t swallow water, I couldn’t get my lungs to take the water and I kept coming back up.

“So then I pulled myself together, said, ‘Okay, we need to keep going here’, and I kept swimming and treading water.”

Archibald, who had not been wearing a lifejacket when he fell overboard, had to keep himself afloat.

He told the surfing website that there was no driftwood or rogue boogie boards to latch on to.

He said he almost drowned eight times.

On Thursday at dawn, the surfer felt the end was close. It had been 28 hours of keeping his head above water, the sun beating down on his face as fish nipped at his body.

The sight of the 70ft ketch Barrenjoey at 6.30am was a sweet one.

The Australian owners of the vessel – John and Belinda McGroder – had set out earlier, armed with binoculars, to join the search.

They fished out the exhausted surfer who was ecstatic to be back on solid ground. Jarvis said the surfer seemed to forget the ordeal and was buoyed by a rush of adrenalin.

“He still has a bit of damage to his kidneys and lungs due to the dehydration, but other than that he’s okay… As you can imagine he’s just incredibly exhausted.”

Anita said when the news came through that he was fine, she felt like a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

For the past 28 hours her mind had been staving off terrible thoughts. Had he been hurt? Had he lost consciousness and drowned?

“I haven’t slept for two days,” she said.

But she wasn’t surprised when her husband told her, during their joyous telephone reunion, that he was going to finish his holiday.

“That’s my husband. He told me he hadn’t come all this way to tread water. He’s a diehard surfer, he is still going to chase the waves.”

She extended her thanks to everyone who helped with the search operation.

“I believe it was your support that kept him afloat.”

Archibald’s friends reported that the surfer had crumpled into an exhausted heap on to a bunk, and was sleeping off the ordeal, getting ready to face the waves under better circumstances.

kieran.legg@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

The Liquor trading days and hours by-law came into effect on April 1, but traders say they are unclear about how it affects them.

Cape Town - The Liquor trading days and hours by-law came into effect on April 1, but many traders say they are still unclear about how it affects them.

Public participation on sections of the by-law opens on Friday.

Garreth Bloor, mayoral committee member for economic, environmental and spatial planning, said while certain aspects of the by-law were being reviewed, the rest of the by-law was in place.

According to the new by-law, a licensee at off-license premises may sell liquor for consumption off the licensed premises from Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm, and liquor cannot be sold from any off-license premises on a Sunday, excluding wineries, which may trade from their tasting rooms.

But confusion is rife at Retreat and Steenberg liquor stores.

Kevin Southgate, chairman of the Steenberg community police forum, said some liquor traders were not sure about trading times.

“There is confusion about the closing times, which are supposed to be at 6pm.

“Some traders say they have spoken to the city and the liquor board, but are still unsure about who is allowed to trade until what time.”

He added that licensed outlets were adhering to the trading hours, but found it unfair that “they are losing money while illegal traders are making a lot more”.

Heidi Hanekom, owner of Steenberg Liquors, said many customers came from work to buy alcohol, then turned to shebeens.

The public participation process closes on May 20, with the liquor trading days and hours by-law available for viewing at all city libraries and subcouncil offices.

natasha.bezuidenhout@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

A Cape Town businessman died after intruders broke into his home while he and his family were asleep and assaulted him.

Cape Town -

A businessman from Cravenby died after intruders broke into his home while he and his family were asleep and assaulted him.

As a partner with his brother in Giant Hyperstores and owner of Sweets for Africa, 59-year-old Allie Parker was well-known in the business community of Epping.

Early on Thursday, five armed men removed a pane of glass and unscrewed the burglar bars at the Parker family home in Miracle Street in Cravenby.

Asleep inside was Parker, his wife and three of their sons.

Yusuf Parker, one of the sons, spoke to the Cape Argus while over 100 mourners held a vigil outside the home on Thursday.

“I woke up, a man was pinning me down to the bed with his knees. I struggled, but a second man told me that he would kill me if I screamed. They used my cellphone charger to tie my hands,” he said.

Yusuf was taken to his parents’ bedroom, and made to lie on the floor next to his brothers while his parents were tied up on the bed. The room had been ransacked.

Blindfolded with a piece of clothing, Yusuf heard how the men beat his father, all the time asking for money.

Parker asked the men not to harm his family and to take what they wanted.

“Somehow they had the idea that there was a lot of cash stashed somewhere. This wasn’t the case, but they refused to believe my dad when he said so,” said Yusuf.

After the assailants fled the house, Parker rang his brother for help shortly before dying.

The cause of his death has not yet been established, but the family suspects that he may have had a heart attack or died from the trauma of his injuries.

On Thursday afternoon, Parker was laid to rest according to Muslim rites.

“There will never be another Allie,” Parker’s cousin, F Begum-Parker, told the Cape Argus. “He was the most kind, gentle and humble person. Always helpful, no matter who you were, whether he knew you or not. When surrounded by children, he was like a child. When surrounded by adults, he was the kind of character that everyone could admire.”

Many of the mourners had complimentary anecdotes about Parker. Apparently there were customers so loyal to him that they refused to buy from Sweets for Africa if “Dada” (as Parker was known) was not there.

“They would become glum and said ‘we’ll come back later’,” said Begum-Parker.

Captain FC van Wyk confirmed that a case of house robbery had been opened.

daneel.knoetze@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

More than 70% of business robberies were committed against foreign-owned businesses, says Community Safety MEC Dan Plato.

Cape Town - More than 70 percent of business robberies were committed against foreign-owned businesses, according to Community Safety MEC Dan Plato.

Plato was addressing growing concerns at a meeting between the police and the Chinese business community in Milnerton on Thursday.

“There has been a notable spike in business robberies in the Western Cape, specifically Cape Town. This has not affected Chinese communities alone - it has also affected other foreigners like Somalian and Pakistani shops,” said Plato.

The meeting follows a robbery in Milnerton a week ago, the fifth targeting a Chinese-owned business in the province since January. The six robbers allegedly included two policemen. The officers have been arrested and suspended.

One of the victims said he was still “traumatised” by the incident, which occurred last Thursday.

Speaking with the help of a translator, the man, who gave his name only as Yan, 33, said he was struggling to trust anyone, including the police: “The people I trusted turned around and stabbed me in the back and robbed me.”

Quan Jiawei, a shop owner robbed last Saturday, believed the robberies were an inside job: “The robbers knew where everything was and where to find everything. I don’t think the police can help us here.”

Zhang John, vice-chairperson of the Chinese business community, said the community had lost confidence that their businesses were safe.

Deputy provincial commissioner Major-General Peter Jacobs said the foreign businesses were not targeted because the owners were foreigners, but because the owners had money on the premises. Other reasons were that most owners lived on the premises and because most foreign owners followed a specific routine.

“If we look at the amount of money being taken, we see amounts in excess of R400 000 were stolen.”

Plato and Jacobs encouraged business owners to deposit their takings in the banks, and to use cash-in-transit vehicles to get their money there.

The minister was reluctant to reveal other safety tips in the open meeting and called for a closed dialogue with the businesses to discuss further safety details.

sibusisiwe.lwandle@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

A Steenberg principal has told of an attack by a pupil on a Grade 1 teacher by one of her pupils.

Cape Town - A Steenberg principal has told of an attack by a pupil on a Grade 1 teacher - who then had to be booked off for stress.

Earlier this week, Eyewitness News reported that according to Noel Isaacs, principal of Floreat Primary in Steenberg, the incident happened last year.

He said most of his pupils were good children and despite attacks on teachers being seen as isolated incidents at the school, it was still concerning.

On Thursday, Isaacs told CapeTalk breakfast show host Kieno Kammies: “It happened last year where the child just attacked the teacher physically. We’ve also had two other incidents.”

He said people would think that there would be more disciplinary problems in the higher grades, but increasingly, over the past two or three years, pupils in grades 1, 2 and 3 were the ones proving problematic.

Isaacs said the school was a typically working-class school and tried to instil that living in poverty did not translate into being rude or excuse insolent behaviour.

Western Cape Education Department spokesman Paddy Attwell said the school had experienced problems of this kind in the past.

“Our district office implemented a positive behaviour programme at the time aimed mainly at training teachers in dealing with serious misconduct. The programme proved to be successful and was used as an example of best practice. Unfortunately, it appears that the problem has surfaced again.”

He said the district office would continue to support the school.

Attwell said the school referred 15 requests for expulsion to the department last year for offences against teachers and other members of staff.

“Twelve allegedly involved physical assault, of which five resulted in expulsion. The other three cases involved verbal or threatening behaviour, of which two resulted in expulsion.”

Joan van Niekerk, manager of marketing at Childline, said children were being exposed to very high levels of violence in South Africa, and this was reflected in their behaviour.

“They will repeat this behaviour, and not just towards other children,” she warned.

ilse.fredericks@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Halaal and kosher food has been insulated from the meat scandal, due to stringent certification processes, say experts.

Cape Town -

Religious groups with special dietary laws are deeply angered that shops have been selling red meat contaminated by undeclared pork and kangaroo.

However, halaal and kosher food has been insulated from the meat scandal, due to the stringent certification processes that govern its slaughter and sale, said Rabbi Ruben Suiza and Dr Mohamed Shahid Mathee on Thursday.

Ashwin Trikamjee, of the South African Hindu Maha Sabha, said while most Hindus are vegetarian, some do eat meat.

“It is vitally important for Hindus to have products properly labelled so that an informed selection is made with emphasis on religious beliefs,” he said.

Three studies have found that red meat – such as sausages and mincemeat – contained undeclared meat sources. Pork and chicken were the most common, but DNA tests also revealed kangaroo, donkey, goat and in one case water buffalo.

Pork is not allowed to be eaten by practising Jews and Muslims, who consider it unkosher and haraam.

But Suiza said in the kosher meat trade it was impossible for undeclared meat like pork to creep in.

Suiza, a member of Beth Din, an organisation that oversees kosher food accreditation, said rabbinical supervisors oversaw the slaughter of animals in Jewish butcheries, making sure everything complied with Jewish law.

The supervisors, who never let the meat out of their sight, stamped the meat with kosher stamps made of special ink and locked it in sealed refrigerators.

“Even cleaning agents to wash machines, and grease to turn the wheels have to be kosher,” he added.

But he said members of the Jewish community that didn’t follow strict kosher diets found it “extremely objectionable” that traces of pork, kangaroo and donkey DNA had been discovered.

All three are unkosher, as Jews may only eat cloven-hoofed animals that also chew the cud.

Dr Mathee said if Muslims had unintentionally eaten pork they would “not be taken to task”.

“You are not held responsible for things you don’t know, and you will not face retribution in this life or the next,” explained Mathee, a lecturer in Islamic studies at the University of Johannesburg.

But he said the halaal meat trade was well-controlled with representatives of oversight bodies, such as the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC), present in butcheries to ensure that animals were slaughtered in the correct manner.

This included not only saying a prayer, but also checking that no “mixing of different meats” took place, he said.

jan.cronje@inl.co.za

Cape Times

Accusations are flying over a series of gruesome SMSes sent to an animal rights activist by an employee at McLaren Circus.

Cape Town - Accusations are flying over a series of gruesome text messages sent to Parklands resident and animal rights activist Diane Easey by an employee at McLaren Circus, Duncan McLaren.

According to Easey, the exchange began when she was driving down the R27 on her way to work and spotted the circus tents and caravans of McLaren Circus.

A staunch believer that animals should not be kept in captivity, Easey looked up the number for Duncan McLaren through the circus’s website and fired off an SMS stating: “I do not support animals in the circus.”

She says that she then received the response: “Its my city too you Racist Pig.”

Easey sent back an SMS saying her issue with the circus had nothing to do with race, and that it was a personal issue with the animals.

However, she says the SMSes from Duncan continued, and she received gruesome images of slaughtered and decapitated animals, rhino horns and a scene of a hunter shooting an animal.

“It just got to the point where I wasn’t strong enough,” said Easey.

“I was so incredibly upset.”

McLaren Circus spokesman Arnold Dickson confirmed that Duncan sent the SMSes to Easey.

According to Dickson, the pictures were sent as a response to Easey’s claim that animals would be better off outside of captivity, “purely sent to show her what happens in the wild”.

In a letter to the Cape Argus from Denzil McLaren, he said the initial text from Easey said: “Please pack up your equipment & GET OUT of our area and our city. You are NOT welcome in Tableview,” to which Duncan McLaren replied with the racist pig comment.

Previous reports that Duncan McLaren was a ringmaster or circus boss were incorrect. The sole owner and boss is David McLaren.

Duncan McLaren is listed on the circus’s website as a media enquiries contact.

Denzil McLaren also said in his letter that Easey had been harassing them and pointed to her activity on social media with independent animal rights groups.

Easey has been involved in many types of activism for animal rights, several focused on releasing animals from captivity.

She is a member of the Facebook group, “No to Animals in Circuses and Captivity”, which has about 150 members.

“I think it’s been scare tactics that they send these horrific pictures,” said Easey.

alison.decker@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Thousands of commuters had to make alternative plans to get to work as bus drivers went on strike in the city and other centres.

Cape Town - Thousands of commuters had to make alternative plans to get to work this morning as bus drivers went on strike in the city and other centres.

The worst affected service in Cape Town was Golden Arrow, which removed its buses from all operations in anticipation of the strike.

Employers and labour representatives’ negotiations over annual wage increases for bus drivers around the country have deadlocked.

John Dammert, corporate development manager for Golden Arrow, said a strike notice by the two unions that represent the company’s drivers had been taken literally and caused the company to effect a “lockout” of its employees. This was partly to protect the company’s buses and other assets from vandalism by strikers.

However, the Transport and Omnibus Workers Union (Towu), which represents the majority of Golden Arrow employees, has said its members are not striking and accused the company of turning away its members when they reported for work today.

Last week, the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) proposed a 9 percent raise as a compromise between the employer’s offer of 6.5 percent and the unions’ demand for 18 percent.

“We have decided to wait on the other unions to respond to an offer by the CCMA. Our members have already accepted a proposal of a 9 percent pay increase, and the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) has indicated they will consult with their members and respond to the 9 percent offer today,” Towu spokesman Tony Franks said this morning.

Golden Arrow hit back, with Dammert saying that until all the unions agreed to a wage increase and retracted the notice to go on strike as of Friday, the company’s buses would remain under lockdown.

Assaria Mataboge, Satawu’s national sector co-ordinator, said all the union’s members had indeed been advised to strike until a response to the CCMA’s offer could be got from its chapters.

The MyCiTi bus service issued warnings that their drivers would take part in the strike. The service was running this morning, but Brett Herron, mayoral committee member for transport, warned delays were expected and asked commuters to travel outside of peak times, if possible.

“MyCiTi is running a slightly reduced service. Buses are full, however, on the main route between Table View and the Civic Centre.

During the peak hours, we are operating a bus at least every 10 minutes.

“On the inner-city routes there are buses every 20 minutes, in other words, we are running buses as per the off-peak schedule. So far, no major delays have been reported.”

Mthuthuzeli Swartz, Metrorail’s Western Cape manager, said passenger train services had set up contingency plans to deal with the added commuters.

He said an “improvement plan” had seen 33 extra train trips daily on the northern line since Monday.

Peak services on the central line and Cape Flats lines had also been extended. Golden Arrow clip-card holders have been allowed to use Metrorail trains at no extra cost.

daneel.knoetze@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Two-thirds of Khayelitsha primary schools don’t have enough toilets for pupils.

Cape Town - Two-thirds of Khayelitsha primary schools don’t have enough toilets for pupils.

And at a school in Site B there was one toilet for every 177 pupils, according to research by City of Cape Town Health completed in 2011.

Findings included:

* Many toilets and urinals were not working.

* Toilet paper was not available at 41 percent of schools.

* Soap for handwashing was not available at 79 percent of schools.

* Sanibins were not available at 65 percent of schools.

An audit found the shortage of toilets in the schools was worsened by broken toilets and urinals. “The learners/toilet ratio is over double the ‘norm’ in more than half the schools and in six schools it goes up to three to six times the ‘norm’.”

It cited 1:29 as the norm for the ratio of toilets to pupils.

The audit did not name the 34 schools but listed the areas in which they were located. According to the audit, the schools with the highest ratios of pupils per toilet were situated in Town 2, Harare, Kuyasa and Site B.

Six cases were found to be “extreme” - schools which were found to have between three and six times too many pupils using them.

The audit found that washbasins were also in short supply, with several not working and in three schools it was found half were not working.

Sanibins were found at just a third of schools and where they were available, there were not enough, which contributed to the blocking of toilets.

Toilet paper was not available at nearly half of the schools and soap for hand washing was not available at 79 percent of schools checked.

The audit made a number of recommendations. “In schools that are not meeting the learners/toilet norm, toilets that are not in working order must be repaired, including urinals. Where the ratio of learners per toilet is twice the norm, new toilets need to be introduced.”

It recommended that the six “extreme” schools should not be allowed to reopen until the problems were resolved.

Sanibins, toilets paper and soap should be provided to schools which were in need of them.

Faulty wash basins also needed to be fixed, the audit recommended.

Lungiswa James, the city’s mayco member for health, said it was premature to draw any conclusions about the audit.

“This is a draft report, the contents of which have not been finalised or properly analysed. Only once these processes have been completed, will be the city be in a position to provide comment.”

Bronagh Casey, spokeswoman for Education MEC Donald Grant, said 17 Khayelitsha schools had made 20 requests for emergency maintenance funding for their ablution facilities in 2011.

She said this was as a result of vandalism or the need for urgent repairs.

The Western Cape Education Department had provided R1.4 million.

Casey said the department had not been presented with this audit’s findings prior to being contacted by the Cape Times.

“This ‘audit’ is a very vague document with no identifiable references.

“There is no mention of the schools involved.

“The report also speaks of norms, but then fails to provide the source of these norms.”

michelle.jones@inl.co.za

Cape Times