Indholdsfortegnelse for 2022-09-16 i Cape Argus

The cream of the crop of Cape Town’s music industry will gather for a musical concert in honour of Ashur Petersen, the son of late SA music icon, Taliep Petersen. Ashur was in the top 18 on The Voice South Africa season 3 in 2019. Proving that “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”, Ashur followed in his father’s footsteps. Taliep’s musical legacy is still experienced across the globe today. Ashur, who has been in music for 16 years, is hosting his concert, called I’ll Be Home Soon. The singer, who has been keeping his moves under wraps, revealed to IOL Entertainment that the show is his farewell to South Africa after he recently got married to an Australian resident and is now emigrating to start a new life…

Two men who raped a then 17-year-old boy at knife point have been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Tulbagh Regional Court. Rayden Fortuin and Eben Fortuin were sentenced on Wednesday. The two were convicted in May 2020. The boy was walking home from a friend’s house in Klein Begin informal settlement when the two cornered him. Western Cape police spokesperson Ndakhe Gwala said the boy reported the incident to his guardian, which led to immediate police action. “They held a knife to his throat and took turns raping him. After committing the crime, they fled. He managed to get home and reported the incident to his guardian,” he said. “A case of rape was registered and Ceres Family Violence Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit members accompanied the victim…

UCT professor Richard Calland’s impartiality has come under scrutiny after Parliament announced him as part of a legal triumvirate to head the Section 89 independent panel to consider a motion into the removal of President Cyril Ramaphosa. Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo announced Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s decision after consideration of 17 nominees submitted by political parties for appointments to the panel to conduct a preliminary assessment of a motion tabled by the African Transformation Movement. Calland, former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo, who will chair the panel, and Judge Thokozile Masipa, formerly a judge in the Gauteng Division of the High Court, form the panel. The motion refers to Section 89 of the Constitution, which deals with the removal of a president on the grounds of serious violation of the Constitution, serious…

AN interesting letter from John P Naidu; Marx, Engel and economics (Cape Argus, September 14), pointing out mankind’s social development through “the relationship between men as producers”. Right next to the letter was the regular Love thy Labour column, by your wise Michael Bagraim, extolling the virtues of the CCMA, whose main function is to broker peace between the men (and women) who are the labour force, and management. My own recollection of the CCMA was their focus on compromise, rather than right or wrong legal points, and their encouragement of trying to see issues from the others’ point of view – it is an approach that has helped me through several aspects of life (works well in marriage, too). Maybe we are evolving into a more considerate human race…

Koeberg power station produces around 4% of all electricity generated in South Africa. This week it was reported that Koeberg needs to be finished with its extension of lifetime upgrades by 2024, otherwise it will have to be shut down for up to two years due to licensing issues, at which point stage 2 load shedding will become the norm for our country. Our already ailing economy is being destroyed by load shedding that happens on an off-and-on (nowadays mostly on) basis. What hope is there to attract job creating investment when we are in a permanent state of rolling blackouts? Of course, this is avoidable. The ANC-led national government needs to pour hundreds of millions of rand into a disorganised entity that has proven over and over again that…

BRITISH monarch Queen Elizabeth’s passing has elicited many polarised responses, in the process allowing the ghosts of the past to resurface. A Nigerian-born US professor, Uju Anya, tweeted a scathing criticism of the British monarchy, recalling her family’s traumatic experience of colonialism in Nigeria. US billionaire businessman Jeff Bezos wasted no time in joining others on Twitter to pour scorn upon Anya. Amazon finds itself in the middle of controversy in Cape Town. The company’s South African headquarters is being constructed on the Liesbeek River, a site of historical and sacred significance to indigenous people of southern Africa. Here precolonial hunter-gatherers were subsisting off the environmental commons. From a heritage perspective, much is at stake here for marginalised people. The case – by a local civic organisation along with various…

A few months ago, there were already enquiries to a most pressing matter – what are the plans at No 10 – which were put forth to Springbok head coach Jacques Nienaber. The Bok mentor gave a curt response of, “there are plans,” or something of that persuasion. He was asked this concern due to the recent retirement of Morne Steyn; the then evolving legal troubles of Elton Jantjies; and the continued injury to Johan Goosen, which left a dearth of experienced bodies at flyhalf. The notion was that the Boks’ two half-backs building towards the World Cup in France next year would always be Handre Pollard and the now scandalised Jantjies. The probable prediction of their non-participation has become a reality. Before his long-term injury, Pollard was terribly out…

AS MPs look to prohibit cash transactions at scrapyards, it has emerged that the City lost R3.4 million in two previous months to rampant vandalism and theft of metals and cables that are usually sold to scrap dealers. Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel has announced that he will, from this month, initiate a policy that bars the use of cash when making transactions in scrapyards. Meanwhile, the Cape Argus has seen two City of Cape Town energy reports detailing its losses to cable and metal theft and vandalism in June and July. Despite paying R1.8m in June, the City noted “a large drop” in incidents that month. In July, it paid R1.5m, while in the financial year that ended in June 2022, the City said it lost…

A teacher at Arcadia Primary School in Bonteheuwel was stabbed by an intruder while she was in her classroom. Parents of Grade 2 learners were told to fetch their children after the incident. The teacher was rushed to hospital yesterday, after being stabbed in the shoulder in front of the pupils. Police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk said the incident occurred at about 8.50am. “According to reports, a 53-year-old female teacher of the school was busy in class when an unknown, masked, male person entered her class and stabbed her once on the left shoulder. When she fell to the ground, the male asked for her cellular telephone and took it from her table and fled the scene.” Van Wyk said a case of aggravated robbery was opened for investigation. Ward…

If the purpose of a parliamentary inquiry was to find out whether the public protector is incompetent or not, then that is no longer possible because according to media reports, she is just guilty, as insinuated. All certainty is gone, as the waters have become seriously muddied, and it is no longer possible to say the inquiry is about the protection of the public from the tentacles of a suspended public protector, or the protection of that office from the public. I was stunned to note that the headlines on most news platforms, solely focused on the fact that Busi Mkhwebane has been “blocked” from returning to her job, instead of the fact that this time around, the court ruled in her favour. For we have been told from the…

Imtiaz Fazel, who has roots in Benoni on the East Rand, was appointed by Parliament to be our next inspector-general (IG) of intelligence. The function of the IG is to investigate complaints about the activities of the intelligence agency. Our sad history of intrusion by those in the corridors of power using intelligence to score and settle political points will now come to an end. Imtiaz is a person of quiet charisma with graciousness, integrity and distinction. Section 7 of the Intelligence Services Oversight Act 40 of 1994 provides that the inspector-general will monitor intelligence and counter-intelligence activities of the State Security Agency and the intelligence divisions of the SAPS and the SANDF – an awesome and pivotal task in a country deeply divided on political fault lines. The main…

Despite fierce opposition to the proposed development at the intersection of Arnold and Gie roads in Table View, the City’s municipal planning tribunal (MPT) has approved the application – much to the residents’ disapproval. The application to enable the development of a consolidated property with a 5-storey block of flats within 100m of Blaauwberg Road was brought forward by FJC Consulting Town Planners and Land Surveyors on behalf of East African Properties (Pty) Ltd plans in 2020. However, unlike most development applications brought forward in the area, the application was approved with the provision of a private on-site temporary wastewater plant. In approving the application the MPT said the proposal was compliant with the 2018 Cape Town Municipal Spatial Development Framework and the 2012 Blaauwberg District Plan, and that it…

The quest for unity continues to heave like an elusive restless tide in this protracted path of the Struggle for national liberation. This noble demand for unity weighs as a heavy burden upon the lips of the oppressed and the exploited. The calls for unity continue to find frequent pronouncement in the voices of leadership. And to Steve Biko, the word “unity” must have been the last his passing soul uttered. Its echo must have lingered on in his silent memory. Even the inhospitable police Land Rover which drove Biko’s battered and naked body from the then Port Elizabeth to be certified dead in Pretoria could not destroy the despicable testimony of how this uniting life was put to waste by officialdom. The black community was occasioned to yet another…

HUGO Broos’s sentiment that “anyone who doesn’t change his mind is a fool” after the return of Themba Zwane to Bafana Bafana is a travesty. Yesterday Broos announced his 23-man squad that’ll face Sierra Leone and Botswana in back-to-back friendlies at the FNB Stadium in the next two weeks. There were notable inclusions in that squad, including Zwane, 33, who’s been overlooked by Broos since he took over the reins in May last year. And this comes after Broos made it clear that old guns, especially those over the age of 32, do not have a place in his team. But Broos has now selected Zwane for the first time, insisting that he’s no fool and has selected him based on merit, not outside noise. “About Themba Zwane being back,…

THE presence of local players with regional knowledge will be essential, not just for player strategy, but also in building brand consciousness for the six teams in the new SA20 competition. That opinion was shared by coaches who will be attached to the six teams, and will be a part of the strategy at the player auction that will be held in Cape Town on Monday. “You want to maximise that home ground advantage, and local players with knowledge of conditions will be crucial in creating that,” said Adrian Birrell, who is part of the coaching staff at the Sunrisers Eastern Cape franchise. Eric Simons, part of the management of the Joburg Super Kings, went a step further. “It is also to have local players the fans in…

THE Western Cape High Court sentenced 28-year-old Abdur Rahiem Israel to life imprisonment after he was convicted on two counts of murder and attempted murder in May. Standing in the dock with a furrowed brow while his mother bitterly wept in the gallery, Israel was sentenced by Judge Elizabeth Baartman to two life terms of imprisonment for the murders of Shahied Salie and Jacobus Petersen. He was further sentenced to 15 years for aggravated robbery, 15 years for attempted robbery, 10 years for unlawful possession of a firearm, five years for unlawful possession of ammunition, three years for attempted murder and two years for involvement in gangsterism – all of which will run concurrently with the sentences of life imprisonment. Judge Baartman in May convicted Israel on 19 charges after…

ReGARDING “Regret over Iran’s stance on nuke deal” (Cape Argus, September 13). Whether or not JCPOA-2 is signed, Iran will race forward and develop its nuclear bomb as quickly as possible. Iran cheated in the past. It is cheating now. It will cheat in the future. TAQIYYA is an honoured Islamic tradition; lying to the enemy to gain an advantage. The West is the enemy. America is the Big Satan. Israel is the Small Satan. Europe is in decline and being swallowed up by Islamic immigration. China and Russia will support Iran, either way. A nuclear bomb will be mounted on an intercontinental missile on the same day, regardless of whether or not JCPOA-2 is signed. The only difference is whether the Iranian regime will get billions or trillions of…

The conduct of Elton Jantjies in any place in the world was wrong and should in no manner be sugar-coated. However, let me speak from what I have personally observed in Springbok players’ behaviour. As a former Member of Parliament, I was during the period 2004 to 2007 regularly invited to the SA Rugby Union (Saru) president’s suite to watch international home games of the Springboks. Saru staff were under pressure to ensure the Saru president’s suite is always filled to capacity with politicians, business leaders, etc. Being a guest of the Saru president also gave me entry to the post-game formal dinner which both teams attend. It was easy for my wife and I to attend international games at all the SA stadiums due to my parliamentary travel benefits.…

POLICE Minister Bheki Cele has revealed that 83 people were killed in a period of just seven days this month. Cele – who called a media briefing yesterday providing progress of investigations into kidnapping, extortion and transport-related cases in the province as investigated by the police – said the majority of the murders took place in and around the metro and Cape Flats. Arguments, robberies and gang violence, he said, were the leading causes of these deaths. This as the Hanover Park area grapples with gang-related killings. In the past week, four murders in six days were recorded there, including that of 17-year-old Jehaan Petersen, whose body was found in a field close to Crystal High School on Sunday. Of the 118 people that were put behind bars for serious…

While the legal team of a black woman-owned business takes on the KwaZulu-Natal government finance development entity on the accusations of sabotaging her business in the Durban High Court, the deafening silence of women’s rights organisations is noted. It has been three years since Goodlife dairy product company director Busi Gumede was at loggerheads with the KZN Growth Fund over what she termed the illegal withholding of the R72 million funding the entity had approved for her business. It is worryingly noted that since then she has not received backing from women’s rights activists who left her alone to fight the entity which is dominated by men. Following a series of articles published on the matter, it was expected that women’s organisations, including the ANC Women’s League in the province,…