Indholdsfortegnelse for CA-2021-04-22 i Cape Argus

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za THE Heathfield High School Action Committee protested outside the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) offices yesterday, demanding that the new head of the Education Department (HOD), Brent Walters, drop all charges against principal Wesley Neumann. The committee, with the school governing body (SGB), wrote a letter to Walters, who recently took up the HOD position, requesting that he drop charges of alleged misconduct against Neumann, and informed Walters to be available at 8.30am, to meet them outside his offices. When the committee arrived in front of the department’s offices at the Golden Acre, they were informed that Walters had other commitments. However, two other officials were assigned to receive the letter on his behalf. A committee member and former Trafalgar High School principal, Nadeem Hendricks, said the…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za THE Open CCMA Campaign has once again protested outside the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) offices demanding, among others, a full-reopening of the walk-in facilities and the permanent employment of part-time commissioners. Protests were held in different cities, including Cape Town. Spokesperson Songezo Mazizi said they resolved to go ahead with the planned actions, despite alleged repeated legal threats levelled at one of their member organisations by the CCMA. Mazizi said last month, the CCMA noted that although R90.1 million had been deducted from its 2020/21 budget, the projected cuts over a three-year period had been reduced from more than R600m to R301m. He said it was also confirmed that part-time commissioners would begin to hear cases again, starting on April 1. “None of…

Siyabonga Mkhwanazi siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za POLITICAL parties will, in the next few days, finalise their positions on land expropriation in the country, ahead of a meeting to discuss the matter. Parties had been given until the first week of May to come up with their positions on changes to the Constitution, to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation. This comes as Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Thoko Didiza announced in Parliament that some of the land belonged to traditional communities. This followed questions put by DA MPs to Didiza, on the amount of land in the hands of traditional leaders. In a written reply, Didiza said that in the Free State, about 140 000 hectares of land were held by government on behalf of traditional communities. In…

I WAS puzzled by a headline in Monday’s Argus. “Sharp drop in train usage a concern,” it said. Well, I live along a suburban railway line and I’m not surprised to hear there’s been a “sharp drop” in train usage. There hasn’t been a train on this line for a year or more. No wonder it isn’t used. There was a time when I travelled to work and back by train every day. My children used to catch the train to school and back. The convenient train service was a major selling point for houses in this part of the peninsula. No wonder its loss is causing “concern”. Now the lines are rusting and only an occasional hiker uses the track as a walking path, stepping from sleeper to sleeper.…

Estrella Capito | Coniston Park, Steenberg I WRITE in response to the letter dated Monday, April 19. It is shameful that something as basic as a decent toilet is not available to the public. How difficult is it to report such problems? Surely someone should be responsible for that. It proves the total disregard as well as disrespect for the public. Unfortunately, I suspect that most of those responsible for the said toilets are not even looking at this newspaper. How about contacting higher authorities?…

We often don’t write about colleagues from other media houses in this column, but today we make an exception – in the name of ethical journalism. On Sunday, the editor of the Sunday World, Wally Mbhele, wrote an over 700-word column about his paper’s dismissal of a senior journalist, for soliciting a bribe from a municipality. To cut a long story short, the Sunday World’s former assignments editor Aubrey Mothombeni had contacted senior officials at Matjhabeng Municipality (Welkom) and demanded a bribe to keep a story about corruption at the municipality under wraps. He subsequently met officials, through an intermediary, where he demanded R1 million for the story to go away. The officials recorded Mothombeni making the offer and demanding the bribe, which they reported to his company’s superiors. He…

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted on Tuesday of murdering George Floyd, a milestone in the fraught racial history of the US and a rebuke of law enforcement’s treatment of black Americans. A 12-member jury found Chauvin, 45, guilty of all three charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter after considering three weeks of testimony from 45 witnesses, including bystanders, police officials and medical experts. Deliberations began on Monday and lasted just over 10 hours. In a confrontation captured on video, Chauvin, a white veteran of the police force, pushed his knee into the neck of Floyd, a 46-year-old black man in handcuffs, for more than nine minutes on May 25, 2020. Chauvin and three fellow officers were trying to arrest Floyd, accused of using a fake…

JAKARTA: Indonesian rescuers searching for a submarine with 53 people on board yesterday found an oil spill near where the vessel had dived, authorities said. The 44-year-old submarine, KRI Nanggala-402, was conducting a torpedo drill north of Bali but failed to relay the results as expected, a navy spokesman said. Two navy vessels with sonar capability had been deployed to assist in the search, the Defence Ministry said. Requests for assistance had been sent and Australia, Singapore and India had responded. Military chief Hadi Tjahjanto said contact with the vessel was lost at 4.30am yesterday. The oil spill could also mean there was damage to its fuel tank or it could also be a signal from the crew, the navy said. | Reuters…

HERMAN GIBBS CAPE Town City scored a notable 2-1 victory at FNB Stadium as wasteful Kaizer Chiefs’ dreadful run of form in the Premiership continued last night. After City had taken a 2-0 lead, Chiefs had a glut of scoring chances, but only Australia-born midfielder Kearyn Baccus, a second-half substitute, found the net in the 67th minute. Chiefs took the initiative at the start and managed a few early sorties into the opposition goalmouth without setting up scoring chances. City took some time to settle down. When they did, their attacks, mostly down the right flank, proved penetrative. An 18th minute corner provided City with a chance for a breakthrough when Chiefs made a hash of clearing their lines. The ball spun free and City striker Tashreeq Morris, from…

CLARICE, M-NET, DSTV CHANNEL 101, 9.30PM This procedural is a sequel series to the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs. HIGH TOWN, M-NET, DSTV CHANNEL 101, 10.30PM Junior is pronounced dead after overdosing on carfentanil. Jackie is distraught over his death and relapses. Ray arranges a raid on a house of Osito's suppliers and brings Jackie along. DIE GROENSTE VINGERS, KYKNET, DSTV CHANNEL 144, 9PM For those with green fingers, look no further than this reality show. Set up as a competition, gardeners, florists and passionate flower-enthusiasts compete for the title of Die Groenste Vinger. Each week, the participants will take on different challenges with a panel of judges deciding who has wilted and who still has room to bloom.…

Mthuthuzeli Ntseku mthuthuzeli.ntseku@inl.co.za A 17-YEAR-OLD boy was expected to appear in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a 22-year-old gay man over the weekend in Nyanga East. Lonwabo Jack’s body, which had stab wounds to the chest, was found in Pula Road, Mau Mau section, on Sunday morning, after he went out with friends for his birthday the previous day. Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana said after a search by Nyanga detectives, who went from location to location, the suspect was apprehended yesterday in the Eerste River area. She said he will appear in court once he has been charged with murder. Nyanga Community Policing Forum chairperson Martin Makhasi urged Nyanga police to work around the clock and work diligently for a successful…

Mayibongwe Maqhina mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za PUBLIC Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu says nearly 5 000 public servants took early retirement [as of last month] since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in March last year. He was responding in writing to parliamentary questions from DA MP Mimmy Gondwe. Gondwe enquired about the number of public servants who took early retirement since the start of the lockdown to curb the spread of the virus in March 2020. She wanted to be furnished with a breakdown at national and provincial level, as well as the breakdown of the relevant number in each government department. Gondwe also asked the number of teachers and nurses who took early retirement during the same period. In his written reply, Mchunu said only 2 879 public servants at…

Samkelo Mtshali samkelo.thulasizwe@inl.co.za THE Electoral Commission yesterday lamented the poor voter turnout for by-elections across the country, saying although about 130 000 people had registered to cast their votes, not even 50% had turned out to vote by midday yesterday. The IEC is expected to release the statistics of the overall voter turnout, when the results of the 14 by-elections held in seven provinces are released in the early hours of this morning. Yesterday, Mawethu Mosery, the commission’s chief electoral officer, said they had expected that the overall voter turnout would have improved by the close of voting stations at 9pm yesterday. “We’ve not had any major problems across all seven provinces. Voters were there, although the statistics were quite slow throughout the day. Even at midday, we were not even…

Gary James | Hout Bay Yagyah Adams – your letter re Afghanistan is riddled with inaccuracies and false claims. First of all, the USA did not attack Afghanistan. They attacked the Taliban because they were providing safe harbour for the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda and their leader, Bin Laden against whom the US had compelling evidence linking them to the cowardly act of terrorism on 9/11, evidence which was later confirmed in a taped interview by Bin Laden himself. The goal of the US was to eradicate al-Qaeda and Bin Laden, both of which were achieved. And despite your erroneous claim that the USA are financially and militarily ruined, there is no doubt that if so desired, they would have no problem taking over the country of Afghanistan.…

Fadiel Adams | President Cape Coloured Congress Our premier, through no real fault of his own, has a tough decision to make. What to do about Degree Gate? He suspended Bonginkosi Madikizela for allegedly spicing up his CV. Most applauded; I didn’t. I could not, because in my heart I knew the DA would not do the same if the transgressor was of a lighter hue. If you doubt this, ask why Anton Bredell is still in a job? He is, after all, accused of doing much worse. And he’s not the only one. Tertuis Simmers was accused of doing the same, and miraculously “fake” profiles were deleted to cover up credentials that had been posted. The only reason Simmers isn’t kicking his heels at home is that…

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons THE SA Institute of Chartered Accountants (Saica) AICA) has called for the amendment of Section 73 of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Amendment Bill to be rejected. The portfolio committee on employment and labour is hearing oral submissions related to the bill. Briefing the committee yesterday, Saica project director Juanita Steenkamp advised the committee to consider the impact the amendment would have on vulnerable employees and medical service providers, and questioned whether the regulatory impact assessment took this into account. “We are concerned that valid claims that were ceded and assigned from medical service providers and submitted to the (Compensation) fund for payment prior to commencement of the act will be ‘void’. “The existing pre-funding book would in effect be wiped off the balance sheet…

Dominic Gaobepe “It’s about time we just move on, get over apartheid, and stop playing the victim.” “I wasn’t responsible for apartheid, why must I suffer for sins of the past?” “Black economic empowerment is apartheid in reverse!” “In the new South Africa there are no opportunities for whites.” Growing anxieties around dwindling economic prospects have been nurtured among many white South Africans and have fuelled an attitude of intolerance and fatigue around retrospections of South Africa’s shameful past. When one is ignorant of history, it may be extremely tempting to look at the above statements and accept them as true, however; we need to be deliberate in understanding our history in order to realise the work we still need to do to achieve a society based on justice…

Rebel forces set their sights on Chad’s capital yesterday following the battlefield death of President Idriss Deby, a move that threatens to bring even more turmoil to a country vital to international efforts to combat Islamist militants in Africa. A spokesperson for the Libyan-based rebel group, known as the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (Fact), said their aim was to bring democracy to the country after years of authoritarian rule by Deby. Rebel forces, who poured over the vast country’s northern border last weekend, were now in Kanem region about 200-300km north of the capital N’Djamena. In N’Djamena, schools and some businesses were open yesterday but many people were staying home and the streets were quiet, a reporter said. Authorities have imposed a night curfew and closed land…

Bab al-Hawa: A first batch of Covid-19 vaccines arrived yesterday in war-torn north-western Syria, where millions live in dire humanitarian conditions. The 53 800 AstraZeneca doses were dispatched to the rebel-dominated region as part of the Covax programme, which aims to ensure equitable access to Covid vaccinations. The vaccines were placed in a cold-storage facility. The delivery is the first to Syria as part of the Covax programme, which has already sent vaccine doses to more than 100 countries and territories worldwide. The vaccine doses are intended for the extended north-western Syrian region, which includes jihadist-dominated parts of Idlib. | AFP…

WHAT’S now clear from the statements of Central Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga, and the comments from Easterns Cricket Union and Free State Cricket Union president Xander Snyders is that Tuesday morning’s statement from Cricket SA’s Members Council does not reflect the beliefs of that Council. Even the Northerns Cricket Union’s statement yesterday morning, in which it tried to be ‘Switzerland’ and is proposing an Indaba with all parties, reflected the deep divisions on Cricket SA’s Members Council – the most powerful decision-making body in the organisation made up of the 14 provincial presidents. And that puts its chairman Rihan Richards in a precarious position. That statement on Tuesday really should have got unanimous backing or as close as possible to unanimous backing before it was released. A bit like those…

Sihle Mavuso sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za FORMER president Jacob Zuma pulled another surprise when he parted ways with his high-powered legal team while he has to face several legal challenges. The divorce comes a few weeks before Zuma returns to the Pietermaritzburg High Court to face his corruption trial arising from the multibillion arms deal of the late 1990s. Announcing their divorce from Zuma, Eric Mabuza of Mabuza Attorneys in Johannesburg wrote to the court and informed it. But Mabuza, who was Zuma’s instructing lawyer, did not give any reasons for their withdrawal in the letter and refused to discuss the matter when asked about it. “Be pleased to take notice that Mabuza Attorneys hereby withdraw as the attorneys of record for Accused No 1. Kindly take notice further that the last known…

The local government elections will take place on October 27, the latest any election has taken place under the democratic dispensation. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office released a statement last night announcing the date of the elections in which power in all South Africa’s 278 municipalities will be up for grabs. South Africans will be going to the polls to choose their representatives for the sixth time since the first local government elections, under a democratic dispensation, were held in 1995. In the statement, Ramaphosa’s office said Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will “follow the necessary legal process to proclaim the date and undertake other requirements”. |…

Mthuthuzeli Ntseku mthuthuzeli.ntseku@inl.co.za The WARD 51 councillor in Langa, Zingisile Nkangana, has died after serving just three months. He replaced councillor Nomtha Dilima, who died of Covid-19 last year. Nkangana died after a long illness. He was on indefinite leave from January, after winning the by-election in November. Residents said this had disrupted the provision of services in the ward, while others claimed that they last saw Nkangana’s face on the ballot paper. Resident Anele Gqasana said the late Dilima had several projects which assisted the community, but after her death these were put on hold. DA PR councillor Zimkhitha Sulelo said there had been complaints about the absence of the ward councillor. “People expect the ward councillor to be at the office, and if not, at least the…

Kailene Pillay kailene.pillay@inl.co.za INTELLIGENCE Inspector-General Setlhomamaru Dintwe has told the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture that there was a “concerted effort”, led by former spy boss Arthur Fraser, to remove him from his position because he was investigating a number of complaints against Fraser. Dintwe said his problems began when he told Fraser “out of courtesy” that he was investigating a complaint against him, which was lodged by current DA leader John Steenhuisen. According to Dintwe, it was his view that he was not regarded as a person who was “malleable”, and it was a known fact that he would consider and act upon the complaints lodged, without fear or favour, and that steps were taken to undermine his authority. He also accused Fraser of denying security…

SCHOOL life can never be boring. Yes, there is a serious side to schooling but in my 39 years of teaching, I have found that all teachers must develop a sense of humour. The late Professor Cecil Leonard who specialised in animal anatomy had a wonderful sense of humour. He would have his students rolling in the aisles of the lecture hall at University of the Western Cape. The late Professor Jan Skinner who was a zoologist, while he was dissecting a mammal, told us: “The priests tell us this mammal has a soul. I have dissected so many animals and never found a soul!” Fred Coker my teacher and mentor was a scream. He was an avid reader of books. He had a lisp and all students mimicked his…

I FIND the capture of the English Premier League similar to the capture of the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) by the Guptas. The difference is that the UK government stood together with the fans and clubs, and stopped them from joining the new ESL – which would have made the Americans rich from the shares if this went ahead. In SA, Jacob Zuma did nothing to stop the rot and helped the Guptas to make a fortune out of of state capture. That is the difference between the UK and SA. They look after their people, while we look after enriching ourselves. This is a good example of values, that a government puts their citizens first before the party. Zuma should be ashamed of himself for selling our country out. I…

Richard Kock | Compliance Officer to Director: Area 1 (North) Urban Management The excellent article “Title deeds: inequality tackled” by Professor Brian Williams highlighted the excitement of families that received their title deeds. The article introduced the strategic role of Mayco Member for Urban Management, alderman Grant Twigg. I note the call within the article and can confirm that Twigg is actively committed to accelerating the transfer of title deeds. In terms of the current drive, 6 661 were issued from September 2019 until April 13 this year. The pandemic slowed down the transfer process. Despite this, alderman Twigg has initiated a series of meetings within Urban Management and there will be a significant roll-out of more title deeds.…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za A MEETING of the DA’s provincial executive committee has decided to wait until the completion of the DA’s federal legal commission (FLC) investigation of suspended Western Cape Transport MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela before taking any action against him for lying about his qualifications. At the same time, Saldanha mayor Marius Koen is still in office as the DA investigates allegations that have been made challenging his credentials from a British university and the party has defended its parliamentary chief whip Natasha Mazzone from claims that she lied about her accomplishments. Acting provincial party leader Albert Fritz said: “The FLC is already investigating the matter and as the premier already suspended MEC Madikizela, who also voluntarily stepped aside as leader, we decided not to take any further steps…

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected employment conditions around the world. Only certain jobs were created, and many alternative positions were reworked to enable the creation of a virtual employment situation. We are at least at a 40% unemployment level, which is the highest in the world, and within the youth category, two out of every three youths were unable to find employment. This situation is not getting better and does seem to be exacerbated by some of the harsh regulatory environment. It is the duty of every government to ensure there is a structure to protect employees, but on the other hand, there must be a conducive structure to create jobs. In South Africa, we seem to be failing on both counts. Firstly, it must be said that our legislation…

Looming crisis of normalising violence is having a detrimental effect on SA’s young people Tsholofelo Nakedi VIOLENCE among learners at Mbilwi Secondary School in Limpopo that went viral should be a wake-up call. The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) has dedicated work in communities that highlight the looming crisis of normalising violence – and the detrimental effects it has on young people growing up in South Africa today. According to research conducted by the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, schools are supposed to be safe spaces to reinforce positive attitudes among learners. Our work as the CSVR and the bullying at Mbilwi Secondary School that led to Lufuno Mavhunga’s suicide says otherwise. The reality is that schools are also a fertile ground for violence.…

BERLIN: Hundreds of people protested in Berlin yesterday against a law parliament is set to pass giving the national government power to impose lockdowns on areas with high coronavirus infection rates to curb a third wave of the pandemic. Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to draw up the law, which has drawn criticism from opponents who argue it curtails personal freedoms, after some of Germany’s 16 federal states refused to impose tough measures despite a surge in cases. Hundreds of protesters, few wearing face masks, gathered in the sunshine beside the Brandenburg Gate, not far from the Bundestag parliament building in central Berlin. The law is due to go to the Bundesrat upper house of parliament on Thursday. | Reuters…

MIHLALI BALEKA @Mihlalibaleka It won’t come on a silver platter for the South African Under-23 men’s team, but they will know that they cannot afford to fall at the first hurdle of the Tokyo Olympics like the teams of 2000 and 2016 did. They were yesterday drawn in Group A for the Olympic football tournament alongside hosts Japan, Mexico and France. The Japanese have qualified for the last six editions of the Games, with their best finish being semi-finalists nine years ago. Their disappointment of a fourth-place finish in London in 2016 was due to eventual winners Mexico, who have qualified on six occasions since 1992 despite being bundled out of the group stage at the last edition in Rio de Janeiro. France are the underdogs in the group, behind…

Mike Greenaway Comment At one point there was the possibility of South Africa’s Rainbow Cup teams basing themselves in Croatia – the players wouldn’t have minded a resort on the sunny Adriatic Sea one bit – such was the range of options the organisers exhausted before finally giving up. No fewer than 16 venues across the UK, Ireland, Europe, and even the Middle East were considered as base camps for our teams, but all were ultimately kicked into touch by a persistent pandemic, and one that on a sporting level has sentenced South African teams to pariah status. Of course, everybody was desperate to see intercontinental rugby competition, especially governing rugby bodies close to perishing from lack of broadcasting revenue, but also coaches and players growing stale from playing each…