Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-08-17 i Cape Argus

An attorney representing Marikana mineworkers who were part of the wage protest action in the months leading to August 2012 said yesterday that the victims of the tragedy might not get the apology they were hoping for. On August 16, 2012, 34 people, mostly striking miners, were shot dead and 78 people were wounded when police fired on a group gathered at a hill near the mine while attempting to disperse and disarm them. In the preceding week, 10 people, including two policemen and two security guards, were killed. Attorney Andries Nkome, speaking to broadcaster Newzroom Afrika on the 11th anniversary of the tragedy, insisted that his clients regard President Cyril Ramaphosa as one of the architects behind the massacre. Nkome said that so far, the miners argue, Ramaphosa’s apologies…

a few hours after hundreds of students from across universities in the Western Cape peacefully protested against the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and the newly introduced Direct Payment Method, NSFAS announced an investigation levelled against its CEO. Students from Stellenbosch University, Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), University of Cape Town, and University of the Western Cape joined in the protest from CPUT’s District Six Campus to Parliament, yesterday. ActionSA Western Cape Students chairperson and National Youth Forum spokesperson Matthew George said the protest was about the defunding of students and the dispersion of student allowances through third parties – Coinvest Africa, eZaga Holdings, Noracco Corporation, and Tenet Technology. George said the service providers were ill-equipped to do the job, and that the awarding of the contracts…

Health experts have moved to allay fears around the new Covid-19 variant, EG.5 or Eris. Yesterday, the first case of the new variant was confirmed in South Africa. Department spokesperson, Foster Mohale, confirmed to IOL that the first sample taken in Gauteng tested positive for the new strain. However, speaking to EWN, Professor Ramneek Ahluwalia of Higher Health said there was no need to panic. He said the current data, which has been sourced from North America and China, does not show any signs of this variant being more contagious or lethal compared to previous variants. “The EG.5 is a sub-variant of Omicron, which caused the fourth wave in SA. Omicron has been mutating quite rapidly, forming different types of sub-variants,” he explained. Ahluwalia stated that there was no need…

Springbok prop Ox Nche says he was so worried about not making the World Cup squad that he even considered going easy on his favourite nutrition – chocolate-caramel cake. But that thought did not last, and he just trained harder than ever instead. “It’s too late in the day to change my eating habits,” Nche laughed yesterday during a press conference in Cardiff. “But yes, I was worried about not making the squad. When you are injured, you watch your rivals playing well, and all you can do is train twice as hard when you are able. “In fact, you have to aim to come back fitter than you ever were, because you are behind the guys who have been playing. Nothing beats game conditioning.” In reality, Nche was always…

Lionel Messi notched his ninth goal in six matches as Inter Miami crushed Philadelphia Union 4-1 to reach the Leagues Cup final on Tuesday. Philadelphia, who made the MLS Cup final last year and have a dominant record at home, were poised to be Miami’s biggest test since the latter added the Argentinean striker to their roster last month. But the visiting Miami, co owned by David Beckham, once again got off to a quick start when a running Josef Martinez scored three minutes into the game on a pass from Serhiy Kryvtsov. Messi was somehow left unguarded just past midfield where he caught a pass from Martinez and dribbled forward before firing a shot from distance in the 20th minute that rolled past Philadelphia goalkeeper Andre Blake, who was…

South African rock music star Angie Oeh (real name Angelique Greef), pictured, took to social media to share the news of her being diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. The 24-year-old Sex in Afrikaans rapper admitted that she was afraid, moments after receiving the cancer diagnosis. Oeh, who is from Pretoria, told followers: “Today I was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, I’m afraid. Every time I get chance to think, I end up crying. “How could this happen to me so fast without feeling or knowing anything. Right now I’m so sick, I need to ask someone to pass me the water bottle which is right next to me. “I’m 24 and tomorrow I need to undergo a life-changing operation followed by six months of chemo.” She appealed…

Watchdog warns of banks breaching law STANDARD Bank, among other banks, may have breached the law when it failed to act after the global financial crime watchdog found that South Africa had become a high-risk country after failing to address strategic inadequacies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. South Africa remains greylisted by global financial crime watchdog the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for not fully complying with international standards regarding the prevention of money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing. But despite the existing potential reputational risk, the banks as compelled by the regulatory authority are taking it upon themselves to close bank accounts instead of reporting suspicious activity to the Financial Intelligence Centre, (FIC) in line with the FIC Act. According to Standard Bank’s general terms…

A man who shot and killed a police officer following up on a lead about a murder case at Muzikinya hostel in Reiger Park, Boksburg, has been sentenced to life behind bars. Molefe Rapooie, 27, was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday by the Johannesburg High Court for the murder of Sergeant Lasi Max Siweya, 46. Sergeant Siweya was killed at the hostel on March 26 last year while following up on information about a suspect who was wanted for murder at Muzikinya hostel. “While patrolling around the hostel, he noticed a group of men who had among them a man who fitted the description of the suspect in question,” police spokesperson Warrant Officer Thatohatsi Mavimbela said. “When the officer approached the group, they started shooting at…

NON-profit organisation Community Keepers has established an office at Crystal High School, providing free counselling among other interventions to the school community. The Community Keepers office and counselling room located on the school premises at Greenturf Road, Hanover Park, will formally open later today. The organisation provides crisis counselling, therapy, referrals and support groups, in addition to well-being workshops to 50 000 learners and their guardians, at 79 partner schools in low income areas across the country. Professional development and support is also made available to teachers. “Imagine trying to learn the seven times table or read a chapter of a book while riding on a high-speed roller-coaster. “This is what life feels like for many of our children. “Adverse childhood experiences (including poverty and/or loss, neglect, violence and…

A jury in New Zealand found a South African woman guilty yesterday of murdering her three young daughters, with media saying she faced a life sentence for each killing. Lauren Anne Dickason killed her 2-year-old twins and their 6-year-old sister in September 2021 at their home in Timaru, a city of 29 000 on the South Island, about a month after the family had migrated from South Africa. Media said a majority verdict by a jury of eight women and four men held Dickason was not insane at the time of the killings and was guilty of murder, following a month-long high court trial in the city of Christchurch. “This has been a difficult and a gruelling trial,” Judge Cameron Mander told the jury, the New Zealand Herald reported. “You’ve…

England coach Sarina Wiegman said she felt she was living in a “fairytale” after her team advanced to the Women’s World Cup final with a 3-1 win over tournament co-hosts Australia in Sydney. Yesterday’s semi-final victory saw Wiegman become the first coach to guide two different countries to a Women’s World Cup final, after she took her native Netherlands to the 2019 showpiece match, where they were defeated by the United States. It also left reigning European champions England, who face fellow first-time World Cup finalists Spain in Sunday’s title decider in Sydney, on course for a notable double. “We achieved the final,” Wiegman told the BBC. “It’s unbelievable. “It feels like we won (the tournament), which we didn’t, we just won this game – in an incredible stadium, an…

Jac Morgan looks increasingly likely to lead Wales at the Rugby World Cup after the flank was named as captain for a warm-up match against reigning champions South Africa in Cardiff on Saturday. It will be the second time in three games that Morgan skippers his country. Dewi Lake led Wales during last week’s 19-17 loss to England at Twickenham but the hooker went off in the first half with a knee injury. Wales coach Warren Gatland recalled wing Alex Cuthbert and centre Johnny Williams yesterday for their first appearances of the warm-up campaign. Williams partners Mason Grady in midfield, while there are also starts for scrumhalf Kieran Hardy and hooker Elliot Dee. Taine Basham is on the bench for the visit of the Springboks after failing a head injury…

A political activist was gunned down in his Hermanus home by unknown men. The Land Party’s former head of security, Thembelani Vincent Boyisi, was murdered on Monday night at around 10pm. Party leader Gcobani Ndzongana said he was their fourth member to have been killed since they grabbed land in 2018. “He was my driver and also head of security because there have been attempts on my life before. “Hired killers even went to my house and pointed a gun at my 2-year-old child, but luckily I wasn’t at home,” he explained. “Thembelani told me a few weeks before he was killed that he was warned to back away from the party or he would be murdered – and that he did. He decided to stay at home and was…

The man who allegedly killed five people in Mbekweni made his second appearance in court yesterday. Makhaya Cekiso was arrested last Monday for the murder of Olwethu Sompani, 34, his girlfriend Zimkhitha Solani, 39, and her two children – 14-year-old Ntlantla Solani and 12-year-old Simphiwe Solani – as well as friend Chandre Horn, 32. He appeared in the Paarl Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning. According to the charge sheet, Cekiso is accused of premeditated murder. On Monday, August 7, Sompani was with his girlfriend, her children and their friend when the shooter fired several shots at the people in the shack. Horn managed to crawl to the gate but died. Sompani’s aunt Vuyokazi Mfiki said she had heard that someone was taken in for questioning. “I’m not sure how he was…

The executive mayor of Swellendam Municipality in the Western Cape, Francois du Rand, condemned the violence in the town and the torching of the municipal building yesterday. “I condemn unreservedly the attack on our town this morning that resulted in the scorching of our entire municipal building. “This is an act of terror perpetrated by criminals seeking to hold the municipality hostage. It is evident that the fire that has engulfed our municipal building is a direct result of arson,” Du Rand said. The municipal building arson was not the only act of violence, as shops continue to be looted and property destroyed because residents are resistant to a council policy, he said. “The cause of this rioting is resistance to a council policy that requires all indigent households in…

AN athletics coach from Wallacedene Kraaifontein who believes “it takes a village to raise a child”, is asking for assistance with training gear for four kids from his team who will participate in the Western Cape Cross Country Championships in George. John Tye, coach and founder of JT Road Run Academy established in 2014, has in partnership with Masibambane Senior Secondary School in Bloekombos, taken it upon himself to collaborate on a running development programme in Wallacedene to keep children in their community busy and off the streets where there crime. The team participated in the Cape Metro Cross Country Championship on August 12 and from that four kids, three boys and a girl, were selected to join the upcoming event in George on September 3. The team is…

The Springbok squad that is about to defend the Webb Ellis Cup in France is a more formidable outfit than the raw bunch that won the trophy in Japan in 2019. That is the emphatic opinion of Cheslin Kolbe, the player who sealed the deal in the final against England in Yokohama with a memorable try. Kolbe is one of four exceptional wings named in the 33-player squad, and he said from Cardiff yesterday that the class and form in his position alone is “scary”. “If you look at the young wings that have come through (Canan Moodie and Kurt-Lee Arendse), they have been playing so well that they could not be left out,” said Kolbe, who will be in the No 14 jersey when the Boks play Wales on…

Bayern Munich are pinning their hopes on England captain Harry Kane to return a stuttering team fresh off their worst season in a decade to the European elite. Bayern’s 11th straight Bundesliga title failed to paper over the cracks of a team which is yet to click since the arrival of coach Thomas Tuchel in March. Last week’s signing of Kane for €100 million from Tottenham Hotspur broke the German club’s transfer record. But whether the 30-year-old Kane can truly be Bayern’s saviour remains to be seen. Bayern limped to the title in 2022-23, winning on goal difference after Borussia Dortmund’s last-day collapse to draw with mid-table Mainz. Bayern’s points total of 71 was their lowest since 2010-11, when they finished third. The shock firing of Julian Nagelsmann for Tuchel…