Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-02-08 i Cape Argus

THE man accused of killing Firdous Kleinsmidt has abandoned his right to bail. Lorenzo Brown made his second court appearance in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court yesterday, after he was arrested last Tuesday in connection with Firdous’s murder. The 12-year-old girl was struck by a stray bullet at Ieglassi Nieyah Primary School in Beacon Valley on January 30. On that morning, a WhatsApp message on crime groups warned parents there was a gang war and they should be vigilant. Firdous’s transport had arrived and as she was walking towards it, she was hit by the bullet in her eye. Her transport driver said she saw her collapse in front of her. People tried to give the Lentegeur girl cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but she was declared dead by paramedics. On the night…

THE auditor-general (AG) has recommended that Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande facilitate better accountability, co-ordination and co-operation between the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and institutions. Releasing its NSFAS audit outcomes for the 2021/22 financial year yesterday, the AG found there had been an increase in the number of students, amount of revenue, unique transactions and types of eligibility requirements to enforce. While internal control deficiencies were raised over the past years, the AG noted that NSFAS was owed money by tertiary institutions dating back to 2019, as monies were not used by students due to students deregistering or being awarded bursaries. The DA said: “In the past, institutions declared the amounts as owing to the NSFAS through a process referred to as ‘final reporting’. This process has not…

THERE is much excitement around two matches that will be played at the Athlone Stadium in the coming two weeks against the Palestinian national football team. The South African Football Association Cape Town (Safa CT) announced that the Palestinian national football team will play against the South African national team in a show of solidarity, with the initiative dubbed “Football 4 Humanity (F4H)”. The initiative is spearheaded by Safa CT and Sports Stepping Stone (SSS). SSS CEO and liaison officer for the Palestinian team to South Africa, Abubakar Cassiem, previously said the team was expected to arrive by tomorrow and would be in South Africa for 10 to 12 days. Matches were scheduled for Sunday, February 11, and Sunday, February 18. In a curtain-raiser, the “Dangerous Heroes vs Magic Ladies”…

WITH the tertiary academic year to commence soon, universities were yet again exploring how to comfortably accommodate the annual influx of students arriving at their gates. Stellenbosch University (SU) spokesperson Martin Viljoen said accommodation remained a national challenge. He said two new residences would be completed by the second term of 2024, adding 400 new beds to meet increased demand. About 75% of SU students were either commuting or staying in private accommodation, according to Viljoen. The university had received around 14 000 applications for SU residence spaces from first-years, with the university able to accommodate around 2 000 in residences on the Stellenbosch campus, and 280 first-years at the Tygerberg Campus. “The university, in collaboration with the SRC, manages temporary accommodation where possible with about 100 students…

My RECENT visit to Woolworths turned out to be an exercise in frustration. Of the nine items purchased, six were incorrectly priced at the till point. Promotional items had not been loaded, clearly marked discounts on specific items were not processed by the cashier. This then is a reflection on the entire retail industry, where the daily self-examination by floor managers, merchandising staff and cashiers is simply not happening. Wise up and check every single item on your till slip, before leaving the store. This problem is wider than you think!!…

Imagine that you are a clinician in a rural hospital. For years, you have worked in an environment that has been under pressure and has operated with limited resources. During this period, you have encountered many challenges – whether it be load shedding, droughts, effects of crime or even the burden of disease as a result of worsening socio-economic conditions, you have witnessed a dynamic system that had the resilience to face off varying odds. However, you now find yourself in front of a different conundrum. Previously, you knew that irrespective of the crisis that was overcome, there was always the surety of some funding. This is not the case anymore. Without the fiscal stability, the facility you have contributed towards your professional career is freezing all recruitment process, de-escalating…

South African-born Tyla clinched victory at the 66th Grammy Awards held on Sunday. Tyla beat African music giants, Burna Boy, Davido and Ayra Starr among others, in the newly formed category, Best African Music Performance, for her viral hit, Water. She is also the youngest music artist in South Africa to win the silverware. The award-winning musician, whose real name is Tyla Laura Seethal, took to Instagram to share how honoured she is to receive the award. She thanked her team and fans, known as the “Tygers”. “I am so honoured to be the first winner of a Grammy under this newly introduced category… we made history!,” she wrote. “I wanna say some more thank yous to all my Tygers, my choreographer @litchi_hov, My creative director @thegmni, The Fantastic 4…

Bafana Bafana’s fairytale run to the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations ended in heartbreak after Nigeria’s Super Eagles booked their place in the final with a nail-biting 4-2 penalty shoot-out win last night. The scores were locked at 1-1 after extra time failed to produce a winner at the Stade Bouaké in the Ivory Coast. Nigerian goalkeeper Stanley “Bobo” Nwabali of PSL club Chippa United was the hero for the Super Eagles with two saves in the penalty shoot-out. He overshadowed his South African counterpart Ronwen Williams, who made Afcon history a few days ago with four saves in a penalty shoot-out in SA’s quarter-final victory against Cape Verde. Bafana, who had already exceeded expectations by reaching the semi-finals, produced a dominant first half but were kept scoreless…

MANENBERG residents are reeling from the death of a mother of two who was killed after being hit by a vehicle along Duinefontein Road on Tuesday. The friends of Ashtranita Regue, 37, witnessed her being flung into the air and landing on her head after she was hit by a bakkie just before 6pm. Her sister, Kim Kleinbooi, 37, said: “She is a mom of two teen girls and on Tuesday she was all happy and smiles because it was my birthday, and now my last memory is of her singing to me. She left home in the afternoon with her friends to go and withdraw money at the Caltex garage and then the children came to tell us what happened.” Kleinbooi said when they got to the scene, her…

LEARNERS from disadvantaged schools across the City were yesterday treated to a special reading session at the Green Point Urban Park in celebration of World Read Aloud Day. Stormers rugby players Ruhan Nel, Clayton Blommetjies, Seabelo Senatla and Mnombo Zwelendaba also joined in the fun, each grabbing a book and reading passionately to the children, explaining as they went along. Wandiswa Mhlungwini, a teacher at Vukani Primary School in Philippi East, said: “We had a great day. It benefited the learners so much because they learnt how to listen and also respond to the text. “By looking at their response it is safe to say that they enjoyed the programme. It also helps them with our weekly ‘Listening and Speaking‘ that we have at school.” World Read Aloud Day is…

The pace of cost-cutting at Boeing and lapses in quality control are critical factors that have led to serious crises at Boeing, costing hundreds of lives and placing in jeopardy the lives of millions of passengers who traverse the world utilising Boeing aircraft. The 737 is a superb workhorse that carries millions of passengers every day. Issues will continue to plague the Boeing series of aircraft because critical quality control measures and the supply of parts from more than 50 000 global suppliers evade quality analysis due to overwhelming production schedules. Today’s production lines are racing to meet delivery schedules, and as a result, shoddy workmanship dominates the assembly lines. The 787 encountered faulty titanium manufactured parts, which escaped quality inspection. Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have lost…

The ANC are getting vociferous about Palestine, aren’t they? Condemning parties who are more cautious about apportioning blame, claiming victory at the International Court of Justice and repeatedly quoting Mandela about our freedom and theirs. Stirring stuff, and the call for a Crusade to liberate the Holy Land can’t be far off. Instead of pre-election hand-outs of boring T-shirts, we may get white tunics with red crosses! Oh, wait – ANC ideology owes a lot to Marxism, and Karl was quite scathing about religion; so probably no crosses. But they can still mount a crusade – they have all these youngsters fresh out of school, with no chance of employment (because of aforementioned ideology), so let’s help them feel useful by sending them on a crusade. Or maybe they are…

With King Misuzulu’s new demands to have the government give him control over the Ingonyama land, certain aspects of the law must be added as a protection layer for ordinary citizens occupying the land, should his plea succeed. While experts say that this is impossible in a constitutional democracy, it is worth noting that some years ago, a grave injustice happened when the Ingonyama Trust Board converted permission to occupy the land into a lease agreement. The government through the legislation had to come in and protect the people living on the land under Ingonyama Trust when the king was charging them rent, while the act stipulates that the king is a trustee on behalf of the people. The trust appealed, but the Supreme Court of Appeal upheld the Pietermaritzburg…

Bafana Bafana crashed out of the Africa Cup of Nations last night with their heads held high after losing 4-2 in a semi-final penalty shoot-out to Nigeria. Bafana had shown grit during regulation and extra time as they came from behind through Teboho Mokoena’s penalty to cancel out William Troost-Ekong’s spot-kick. But it was in the penalty shoot-out where the Super Eagles prevailed as they slotted in four against Bafana’s two to play in the ultimate footballing match in Africa – thanks to the heroics of goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali. While this loss meant Bafana will now challenge for a third-place finish for the first time in 26 years against DR Congo or hosts Ivory Coast on Saturday night, they’ll still be proud of their exploits. Bafana were barely tipped to…

THREE suspects are expected to apply for bail in the Paarl Magistrate’s Court after a harrowing video surfaced on social media showing how they tortured a 9-year-old boy accused of stealing money. The child suffered several minutes of torture as both his wrists were tied to a metal saw handle while a man used jumper cables connected to a vehicle battery to shock him. This while another doused him with water. The incident happened in Klapmuts on January 27, after the boy was accused of stealing R600. While more than five people were captured in the video, police arrested and charged three men – Justin Limco, 21, Nathan Niewenhuis, 24, and Zane Marthinus, 34. The six-minute-long video starts with someone talking about money while the boy stands against a white…

RESIDENTS in Tsakane, Gauteng, have taken out their anger on a tuckshop accused of selling biscuits that allegedly caused the death of a Grade 1 girl this week. The child died after consuming the snack, purchased on Tuesday. In a statement from the Department of Education, Gauteng MEC Matome Chiloane said the girl was a pupil at Mandlethu Primary School. Chiloane said she began experiencing health complications in the classroom before 11am. “She started vomiting a few minutes later and her parents were called to come to the school. Emergency teams were also called to the school,” said Chiloane. By the time the paramedics arrived, the girl had passed on. “We are deeply saddened by this unfortunate incident. We plead with parents to be vigilant concerning the edible goods that…

WITH more than 72 000 women participating in the country’s mining industry, more mechanisms and interventions were still needed to mainstream gender equality in the sector. Speaking during the third day of the Investing in Africa Mining Indaba at the CTICC yesterday, Mineral Resources and Energy Deputy Minister Nobuhle Nkabane urged the private sector to invest in resources to support women businesses in the mining sector. This as the department developed the Women in Energy strategy to spearhead the development of women empowerment and gender equality for the mining industry. The department also launched the Women Diggers programme aimed at empowering women with knowledge and skills to ensure they actively participate in the extraction and exploitation of natural resources. “In line with the available budget for the artisanal and small-scale…

Following South Africa’s legal victory against Israeli crimes in the Middle East and amid widespread support for the South African team, certain proponents of Zionist Israel targeted the South African government, particularly Minister Naledi Pandor, a staunch advocate for Palestine. More than 60 years ago, Malcolm X declared: “This is not only about Palestine but also against colonialism, for the Global South, for humanity, for dignity.” The sentiment precisely aligns with what Minister Pandor is pursuing in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela. South Africa, renowned for its diverse population and complex history, grapples with various societal issues, including the nuanced question of anti-Semitism. Navigating such topics demands a delicate approach, urging an exploration into whether South Africa manifests signs of anti-Semitism. Historically scrutinised during the apartheid era, a system of…

As we approach the 2024 elections, the date of which is expected to be announced this evening during the State of the Nation (Sona) address, there are worrying messages from the business community that ANC politics could severely damage the economy. Banks are warning of an imminent drop in the rand’s value and increased unemployment this year. The negative messaging often has the effect of bringing about the negativity it warns of. All this talk of disaster is overblown and South Africa is not at rock bottom. Contrary to what we are hearing, the election will bring positive change and a realignment of economic forces that will spell growth for South Africa. My argument is based on the fact that we have had an incompetent government for nearly 30 years,…

Jaco Peyper’s appointment as the Springboks’ full-time national laws advisor comes at the right time, when the world champions will look to maintain their good disciplinary record of the last season or two – including the World Cup tournaments. Bar a couple of yellow cards and penalties against them, South Africa were among the best-disciplined sides at the Rugby World Cup in France last year, and they’ve remained in the good books of referees who have officiated in their games. In a move to keep showing their disciplined side on the field, Peyper has been added to the management and will look to bring a fresh dynamic to how they deal with officiating, keeping the relationship between the Boks, referees and World Rugby as spotless as possible. It’s no secret…