Indholdsfortegnelse for 2022-11-11 i Cape Argus

Cape Town comedian Altaaf Sayed is turning his sorrows into laughs with his comedy show called Finding Archie. Sayed, from Athlone, first performed this show at a sold-out Baxter Theatre in 2020 but said the last two years had seen him go back to the drawing board to craft this latest version of this one-man comedy show. Partially paralysed from the waist down, Sayed, 36, said six years in comedy took him on a journey of discovery and acceptance with his disability. “Most people don’t know me as a comedian. In the show I touch on my disability a lot as it is who I am and I speak about how I learnt to deal with it,” he said. Ten years ago, Sayed was diagnosed with a rare degenerative neurological…

A recent video widely shared of a food delivery driver being robbed outside a residence while delivering an order has heightened the safety concerns of drivers and customers in certain areas. Online food orders have rocketed over the years, amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic that saw the food delivery industry booming. However, this has come at the risk of the drivers, who are robbed of the food, money, devices and even their scooters. The recent incident caught on video shows a customer exiting the premises where he immediately meets the delivery driver. However, within five seconds of their meeting, a vehicle appears from which two men exit and rob the driver of his belongings. The customer manages to escape. While it is not clear where the incident occurred, residents have…

Parliamentarians have slammed the police’s top brass for dilly-dallying on the Independent Police Investigative Directorate’s (Ipid) recommendations into the killing of top detective Charl Kinnear. Anti-Gang Unit detective Kinnear had been investigating high-risk cases when he was killed in front of his home in Bishop Lavis in 2020, prompting an Ipid probe into why he and his family had no protective detail. Ipid recently tabled a classified version of the report, which police committee chairperson Tina Joemat-Pettersson ruled wouldn’t be discussed due to a lack of security clearance for MPs and the report being sent to her a few minutes before the committee proceedings. Among other things, the version before Parliament recommends to the provincial police that seven cops be disciplined and criminally charged and “strongly recommends” that the AGU…

All over the world, national education departments were very sympathetic to schools that had to deal with the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic from 2020. Only in the Western Cape did the education department take action against a principal, Wesley Neumann, who tried very hard to protect his students against this dreaded disease. Neumann was one of 120 principals in the Western Cape who called upon the president of South Africa, the premier of the WC, the national and provincial education heads to delay the opening of schools for the third term in 2020. The president of South Africa heeded the call of schools in SA and closed schools in July 2020. The president agreed with Neumann, principal of Heathfield High, to delay the opening of schools until it was safe…

THOUGH it sounds controversial and inconsiderate, the irony of crime is that it knows no colour, creed, no social standing – and it does not care who you are. Yesterday’s news that former apartheid president, the late FW de Klerk, is the latest victim – posthumously – of the rampant crime most South Africans have experienced. The Nobel Peace Prize, worth a million, that De Klerk was awarded alongside former president Nelson Mandela in Norway in 1993 was stolen in a burglary at his home in upmarket Fresnaye. Pieces of jewellery belonging to his widow, Elita, were also taken from a safe. It is unAfrican to kick a man when he is down – even when he is dead. But there are always exceptions. Many believe the former statesman…

THE South African women’s team will face the West Indies and India in a triangular series which will form part of the final preparations for the T20 World Cup that will be hosted in SA next year. The Tri-series will take place in East London, from January 19 to February 2. The World Cup starts on February 10 at Newlands. South Africa’s T20 World Cup opponents in Group A include Sri Lanka, New Zealand as well as Bangladesh and five-time champions, Australia. The Proteas recently wrapped up their early season preparations with two training camps, and the players are looking ahead to the Women’s Super League, a four-team tournament that will take place in Cape Town from December 11. “These two sides are up there with the most talented…

The emotional trauma wreaked on the family of anti-apartheid Struggle activist Imam Abdullah Haron over the more than half a century of being denied the truth about how he died, was laid bare yesterday on the fourth day of the reopened inquest into his death. Both Imam Haron’s eldest daughter, Shamela Haron Shamis, and his son, Muhammed Haron, broke down a number of times while giving evidence before Judge Daniel Thulare at the Western Cape High Court. Questions in which they were forced to relive how they heard about his death and other painful memories such as the effect his death in detention at the hands of the apartheid security apparatus had on the family, including their late mother, triggered strong emotions. After Haron’s death, Galiema had to move her…

The Taj Cape Town, one of the city centre’s jewels in the hospitality industry, has recently unveiled its beautifully refreshed ground floor. Mark Wernich, general cluster manager Africa for Taj Hotels, said that with both local and international arrivals on the up, the refurbishment of the hotel comes at the perfect time for the five-star establishment to welcome guests. “The beauty of our spaces has always attracted people eager to indulge in a little opulent luxury – from barristers to Members of Parliament, from international guests who are already familiar with Taj Hotels’ exacting standards and commitment to Tajness to locals who want an inner-city experience with a difference,” he said. “The elements which created this appeal remained unchanged. But we’ve upped the ante by modernising and refreshing the space,…

The Netherlands government last week decided to financially compensate former slaves with a budget of €200 million (R3.5 billion). The Dutch East India Company brought slaves from Indonesia in 1700AD to the former Dutch colony in the Cape to work as labourers in the vineyards. The Indonesians living in South Africa are referred to as Malays and also have a right to apply for financial restitution. The South African government should also invite the Netherlands’ King Willem-Alexander and his wife Queen Maxima to South Africa. They could come with a trade delegation with experts in the electricity sector and water management. They could assist our country with helping solve the load-shedding problem. Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander are popular in India. Queen Maxima helps ladies to develop business…

SOUTH Africa’s population is urbanising at a rapid pace. The sheer rate of change poses challenges to planning for sustainable and liveable cities. Part of what make cities work is having green spaces, such as parks, sports fields, nature trails and street trees. These provide many social, ecological and economic benefits. Research from multiple countries such as Australia, China, Finland, India, the US and South Africa has shown this. Aside from looking good and providing recreation, urban green spaces improve air quality, physical and mental health, and regulate storm water flows. They counteract urban heat islands, store carbon and create jobs. Some communities nevertheless oppose urban greening efforts because they fear green spaces and street trees provide places for criminals to hide. Such fears are not unique to South Africa…

Since the withdrawal of the French army from Mali, Russia’s Wagner Group has replaced it as a target of jihadist propaganda, experts say, with extremists making hay with claims that its mercenaries have committed atrocities against civilians. Having been pushed towards the exit by the leaders of Mali’s 2020 coup, France finally withdrew in August , more than nine years after its military intervened to stop a jihadist takeover of the troubled Sahel nation. The colonels in charge in Bamako have been increasingly turning to Russia, and particularly to Wagner’s paramilitaries, according to Western sources. Bamako denies this, acknowledging only the support of Russian military “instructors”. But it is Wagner that the Al-Qaeda-linked group Jama’at Nasr al‑Islam wal Muslimin, or JNIM, has been targeting in the information war. “Wagner’s operations…

After a two-year absence, “Aunty Merle” returns to the Baxter Theatre. Just in time for the festive season and bringing all the trimmings with it, comedian Marc Lottering presents the latest instalment in the popular “Aunty Merle” series, Aunty Merle– Things Get Real. In the new production, which boasts several fresh faces, Merle Abrahams (Lottering) from Belgravia Road has since survived Covid-19 and lockdown restrictions, and she is just about finding her way through the darkness of load shedding. This time around, however, things are about to get very real as Dennis, her loving husband, has been found to be keeping a secret from her. One which has affected his heart and is about to turn Merle’s world upside down. Lottering told IOL Entertainment: “The show had enjoyed…

A woman who helped herself to church funds between 2012 and 2015 has been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana, Lady Memory Mutsika, 43, had been charged with 128 counts of theft. She said Mutsika was a church treasurer of the Pretoria City Seventh-Day Adventist church. Her responsibilities included transferring tithe and offering money deposited to the church account, to the Northern Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. “Mutsika transferred more than R800 000 of the money received from the tithe and offerings to her bank account and for her personal use,” Mahanjana said. Mutsika asked the court for a non-custodial sentence to pay the church back the money over a five-year period. However, Mahanjana said the accused indicated her willingness to…

THE ANC Youth League’s national youth task team (NYTT) went cap in hand to the mother body, asking for R21m to host the youth league’s conference, but youth leaders and members are sceptical their conference will take place. Well-placed sources told the Cape Argus that the NYTT last month asked for the millions to hold its first conference since 2015. The youth league was disbanded in 2018 and in April last year, 35 young people were tasked with reviving the structure after a previous task team failed the mandate. The NYTT this week pronounced its nominations for the 55th national conference, backing Zweli Mkhize for president, treasurer-general Paul Mashatile as deputy, incumbent Limpopo chairperson Stan Mathabatha as national chairperson, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula as secretary-general and NEC member Nomvula Mokonyane…

Peter Jones, the eternal revolutionary, was detained with Steve Biko, one of the icons of the liberation movement. Steve was taken away, tortured and killed on September 12, 1977. Peter is the last person from the liberation movement who saw Steve before he was brutally murdered. Peter was tortured and then spent approximately 540 days imprisoned without trial. He has his own compelling histories of independent contributions to the liberation of our country. Peter suffered a stroke a while back. I visited him recently after communicating with Ingrid, his wife, who is a strong and independent woman in her own right. When I entered the room where Peter was serenely lying, the soft air swirling around him created its own music. An orchestra of memories produced exquisite sounds as if…

Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs are stepping up their preparations ahead of a long day at the office in the Carling Black Label Cup tomorrow. Amakhosi will take part in the second semi-final of the day when they collide with Soweto rivals Orlando Pirates at noon at the FNB Stadium. The unique nature of the Black Label Cup has presented an interesting challenge for the Glamour Boys. The inclusion of a long-time club servant in Eric Mathoho, who was voted in by the supporters, in the starting XI has meant the current team doesn’t have a natural right-back on the field. Edmilson Dove, who is one of the most versatile members of the Chiefs squad, will line up with Mathoho, Njabulo Ngcobo and Sfiso Hlanti in defence. “At the end of…

ENGLAND have been tipped to win the World Cup in Qatar by Lloyd’s of London based on a prediction model using players’ collective insurable value as the commercial insurance market targets a hat-trick after picking the last two champions. Lloyd’s have predicted that Gareth Southgate’s England side will beat Brazil in the final – with France, Argentina and Spain falling just short. The same model correctly identified Germany as winners in 2014 and France in 2018. According to analysis backed by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, which ranks the teams based on the collective insurable value of their players, England’s squad will have an estimated insurable value of £3.17 billion (about R61.326b). They edge out France (£2.66b) and Brazil (£2.56b) to claim top spot. Lloyd’s said the assessment…