Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-02-15 i Cape Argus

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

‘Bob Marley: One Love’ biopic receives mixed reviews

While reggae legend Bob Marley died more than four decades ago, his music continues to live on as he inspires modern-day musicians. With the icon’s music played across the globe, almost 43 years after he died from cancer in May 1981, this week Hollywood released its major reggae biopic based on him. Bob Marley: One Love was released in theatres worldwide on Valentine’s Day. And while it was not the typical love story movie-goers might have expected on the most romantic day of the year, his fans will finally get to see the man behind the music. It stars Kingsley Ben-Adir, who previously portrayed Malcolm X, in Regina King’s One Night in Miami. The British actor also played one of the Kens in the Barbie movie, as well as making…

4 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

vacancies Health Minister promises to solve doctor shortage

AS HEALTH Minister Dr Joe Phaahla yesterday said hundreds of unplaced doctors would be funded to work at hospitals across the country by April 1, Western Cape Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo welcomed 60 first-year interns and 13 community service doctors at Groote Schuur Hospital. Speaking in Parliament during the State of the Nation Address (Sona) debate, Phaahla announced that together with Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, they would address the current challenge of doctors who wanted to stay in the public sector but were not offered funded posts. He said the details of the placements would be provided during Godongwana’s Budget Speech next Wednesday. “Our national team is working with the National Treasury team to thrash out the details. It is also working with provincial health departments to speed up the…

2 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

crime Sea Point ‘thief’ in mob justice video

A 30-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested after he was caught by bystanders for allegedly robbing a woman of her cellphone in Sea Point. A video of his apprehension has since gone viral, showing a mob attacking him. The clip emerged on Tuesday and was posted on several crime and community pages on Facebook. Sea Point has recorded an increase in robbery cases recently, with several incidents of chain snatching and cellphone muggings taking place almost daily. The footage shows four men surrounding the suspect while the victim, a foreigner, runs to the rescue of the robber. She goes back to the other side of the road as more men approach. The suspect can be heard screaming while a man dressed in navy blue and white shorts and a black vest…

2 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

‘no full consultation’ Human Settlements White Paper criticised

CIVIL society organisations representing shack dwellers protested outside Parliament yesterday as the Department of Human Settlements tabled the White Paper on Human Settlements before a portfolio committee. The paper, among others, deals with subsidised housing, land availability, upgrading of informal settlements, affordable rental housing, financing options, and governance arrangements. According to the department, the paper was intended to strengthen its approach to providing sustainable human settlements. The paper reads: “The White Paper informs the government’s approach to using tailor-made subsidy instruments that target poor households and vulnerable groups, such as persons with disabilities. “The policy promotes co-ordination between the three spheres of government for effective and efficient delivery of human settlements.” It has been met with criticism from organisations including the AmaTyoTyombhe (ATAF) activist forum, #UnitedBehind, and Movement for Change…

2 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

PAC, ATM, EFF coalition likely

THE PAN African Congress of Azania (PAC), the African Transformation Movement (ATM) and the EFF are likely to join forces in a coalition post the 2024 national elections. This after the PAC and the ATM pledged their support to the EFF during the party’s manifesto launch in eThekwini on Saturday. The troika have all called for unity and for the working together of like-minded organisations ahead of the upcoming general elections. The parties have made it clear that they shared the same views and were in talks about the prospects of working together to boot the ANC out of power. President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to announce the date of this year’s general election by Friday next week, his spokesperson Vincent Magwenya told a post-State of the Nation (Sona) media…

2 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

Western Cape residents urged to use water sparingly as dam levels dip

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has once again called on Western Cape citizens to use water sparingly after they reported a slight decline in dam levels. DWS Western Cape provincial head Ntombizanele Bila-Mupariwa said a week-on-week decline in dam levels was consistent with the scorching hot weather during the first two months of the year. “The sweltering high temperatures we have experienced combined with high water usage in recent weeks has contributed to the slight decline of the dam levels in the province,” said Bila-Mupariwa. She emphasised that South Africa was a water-scarce nation due to insufficient and unreliable rainfall. This called for renewed efforts to use water sparingly. According to the department’s recent hydrological report, there has been a slight decline on the river catchments systems across…

2 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

Private wildlife hunting boosts SA economy

WITH a contribution of over R15 billion to the South African economy, the latest research has called for the private wildlife hunting industry to be better treasured. The research conducted by the unit for Tourism Research in Economics, Environs and Society (TREES) at the North-West University (NWU), revealed that despite constant criticism, the private gaming industry continued to plough back billions into the South African economy. The research, aimed at determining the socio-economic impact of the private wildlife industry in South Africa, surveyed as many as 1,685 local hunters and 415 international hunters between June 2022 to August 2022, through online questionnaires. Under the leadership of NWU’s Professor Peet van der Merwe, Andrea Saayman and Elmarie Slabbert, it was found that on average, 97% of male hunters participated in 2,7…

2 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

Zimbabwe will never be a better place

It is pathetic about the situation in Zimbabwe, and the community is greatly frustrated. Zimbabweans have been silenced by the ruling party Zanu-PF under President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The government is hiding behind certain individuals, awarding them new cars as a thank-you to the past election, which was stolen. Zimbabwean politicians are obsessed with cars bought using public funds. Council can’t provide clean drinking water for its residents, it is supposed to be different from the corrupt Zanu-PF central government. However, before the ink of being sworn in is dry, they are now wanting to use public funds to buy cars, when they can’t remove rubbish in the streets. Zimbabweans are all on a bus where thieves are stealing from us and using the stolen money to buy our trust and…

1 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

If Egypt does not want refugees does that make them indifferent?

WITH reference to “Palestinian genocide – a litmus test for humanity” (Cape Argus, February 13) simplistically placing people in three categories – good, evil and indifferent – and then placing the various aspects of the Israel Gaza situation into the three is naive. Few people are “good” all of the time. To quote, “anyone who deems it okay to murder is evil” – I agree. Hamas murdered 1 200 Israelis on October 7, therefore they fit the category of evil. Not all Israelis support Netanyahu, particularly with the ongoing hostage situation – one cannot blanket all Israelis under one category. And regarding the US, Biden has offered a sharp rebuke on Israel’s war on Gaza, saying it has to stop now. The British and the EU, among…

1 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

Jail for parents who don’t send kids to school?

Parents could soon find themselves behind bars for preventing their children from attending school without a good reason, if the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill is passed in its current form. The Bela aims to bring laws dealing with schools in line with important developments in the law, related to the right to basic education, that have taken place over the last decade. Public hearings on the bill will continue until February 29. While the bill seeks to redress inconsistencies in the education sector, there are concerns that it unjustly criminalises parents. One of the worrying sections is the criminalisation of parents/caregivers who prevent their children from attending school. It retains the extended jail time – from six to 12 months – for anyone, including caregivers, who prevents a…

2 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

Wolvaardt relishing the Waca’s pace and bounce

The Proteas Women are bracing themselves for what is the final assignment of the tour to Australia, the only Test match, at the Western Australian Cricket Association (Waca) ground in Perth today (5am start, SA time). For a team playing only their second Test in almost two years, the prospect of facing Australia in their own backyard in the longest format of the game is an exciting challenge. Captain Laura Wolvaardt told the media yesterday that the idea of playing Test cricket more regularly is something that the players would welcome. South Africa played in 13 Tests between 1960 and 2022, with a win against the Netherlands in 2007, seven draws and five losses. Their last Test was in June 2022 against England, while in comparison, Australia have featured in…

2 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

Bulls forward urged to ‘spare energy’ for big Lions onslaught

Mornay Smith turned 26 on January 30, which was just a few days after his beloved Bulls beat the Lions in a United Rugby Championship encounter at Loftus Versfeld. So, the 30-28 victory was an ideal birthday present, but it wasn’t a happy outing for the Bulls pack, who conceded a few scrum penalties to the Lions. In fact, a last-minute scrum penalty allowed Lions flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse to line up a long-range kick at goal for the win, but he wasn’t able to boot it over, and coach Jake White’s team survived. The Lions front row of JP Smith, Jaco Visagie and Asenathi Ntlabakanye got the better of Bulls counterparts Simphiwe Matanzima, Akker van der Merwe and Smith on January 27. So, the Pretoria outfit will look to avoid…

3 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

Guardiola hails dazzling De Bruyne as Man City cruise

Pep Guardiola hailed Kevin de Bruyne’s form as “extraordinary” after the Belgian was involved in all three goals as Manchester City beat FC Copenhagen 3-1 on Tuesday night to close in on the Champions League quarter-finals. De Bruyne’s early opener was cancelled out against the run of play by Magnus Mattsson. Bernardo Silva restored City’s lead before half-time, but they had to wait until stoppage time to add further punishment for the hosts when Phil Foden turned home De Bruyne’s cutback. De Bruyne was sidelined for five months by a hamstring tear suffered on the opening night of the Premier League season in August. But since his return last month, the 32-year-old has scored two goals and provided seven assists in seven appearances. “Extraordinary,” said Guardiola of De Bruyne’s statistics.…

3 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

MacG gets flak for dissing Tyla on ‘Podcast and Chill’

Social media users are coming in hot and heavy for podcaster MacG. This comes after he picked on global superstar Tyla in the latest episode of Podcast and Chill with MacG. In a viral video making the rounds, MacG, together with co-host Sol Phenduka and Ghost Lady, were discussing the Water hitmaker’s Grammy win. MacG said: “But shout out to Tyla’s team. What they’re doing with Tyla is amazing. Imagine if Tyla’s team was working with someone who is really talented, like what they could do?” Phenduka and Ghost Lady immediately called him out for it, saying that she is very talented. He quickly backtracked: “No no no, I’m saying imagine if they work with Msaki bro, you know what I mean.” When the co-hosts still didn’t agree, MacG said:…

2 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

FOOTBALL EFF’s Malema slams Safa’s Jordaan over Afcon payouts

The South African Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan was cagey yesterday about how much the Bafana Bafana players would earn for their third-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast. Bafana, led by captain Ronwen Williams, beat Democratic Republic of Congo in a penalty shootout in the third place play-off on Saturday. As the national team arrived back in South Africa at OR Tambo International in Johannesburg in the early hours of yesterday morning, a massive crowd waited to greet the players. Led by Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa, Jordaan and other Safa staff came out before the players. Ahead of the tournament, Caf President Dr Patrice Motsepe had announced a 40% increase in prize money, saying, “Caf has made significant progress…

2 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

meyiwa trial Ntanzi denies ever meeting or appointing former legal counsel

The Senzo Meyiwa murder trial will be awaiting transcripts from murder accused Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi’s previous appearances, as he has denied ever appointing former police crime intelligence officer Ntokozo Mjiyako as his legal counsel. As the trial-within-a-trial resumed in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, yesterday, Ntanzi, one of five men on trial for the 2014 murder of the Bafana Bafana goalkeeper, denied he had ever appointed the former officer as his defence attorney. As Ntanzi returned to the stand, he said not only had he never appointed Mjiyako as his legal representative shortly after his arrest in 2020, he also had never even spoken to him. “I never spoke to that man (Mjiyako), even at the police station in Rustenburg. “I never spoke to him.” Ntanzi testified that his family…

2 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

MK elders warned to ‘stay clear’

Umkhonto we Sizwe Party interim youth leader and former #FeesMustFall campaigner Bonginkosi Khanyile,has warned elders within the party “to stay clear of the affairs of young people”. Khanyile, who was axed by the Patriotic Alliance (PA) after he appeared during an MK Party event in December, was speaking during an address of MK Party activists at Uncle Tom’s Hall in Orlando West, Soweto, yesterday. “I want to tell the elders of the MK Party, please remove yourselves from the affairs of the youth league. Please leave young people alone. “They want to tell us what kind of T-shirts we must design and wear. These old people were busy attacking a young woman after she decided to design a T-shirt with my face on it. “Not that I want my face…

2 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

Stem cell donors needed to save young child’s life

AS THE world observes International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD) today, an appeal has gone out to South Africans to become stem cell donors, to help save the lives of children like Preshthi Ishwarlal, 5. Preshthi, from KwaZulu-Natal, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic keukaemia, a type of blood cancer that affected the bone marrow, white blood cells, red blood cells and blood platelets. She was diagnosed in 2021 when she was just 2 years old, and had been in remission for 18 months. Her mother, Arthie Ishwarlal, received the news that despite undergoing inpatient treatment, her child experienced a relapse earlier this year. Arthie had been unable to speak to the media about her daughter’s plight as the child battled on, but has now appealed for a stem donor to come…

2 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

UCT administrative and support staff continue strike

UNIONS representing professional, administrative support and service (Pass) staff at UCT have entered their second week of strike action, demanding improved working conditions, salary increases, and the waving of the “no work, no pay” principle. The UCT Employees Union (UCTEU) committee last Tuesday issued a notice that its executive had exhausted all avenues of a non-strike resolution. Close to 100 members of the UCTEU have gathered at the university’s Bremner Building since Thursday over the demands. The Pass staff have demanded a 1.5% wage raise for 2023 and 7.5% for 2024; the prompt release of performance rewards for June 2022 to May 2023; the formation of a united bargaining forum; and addressing issues of bullying. The union’s deputy president, Tsebo Litabe, said the institution backtracked when it changed the draft…

2 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

Never mind Eskom sabotage, the ANC is self-imploding

It is shocking how President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC fail to comprehend that if the pundits are to be believed, the forthcoming elections will result in the party’s worst perfomance since 1994. This is because, beside the prowess of its adversaries, the ANC is committing suicide. The latest example is that in her contribution to the debate on Sona, the Deputy Speaker of the NCOP, Sylvia Lucas, made bizarre statements. She insulted the public by boldly stating that load shedding is “not the end of the world”. It is such banal, arrogant and insensitive statements by an ANC official that are going to cost it dearly. She was in fact saying that South Africans are merely “whining” about the serious impact of load shedding on their lives and have…

1 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

SA’s inaugural coloured aviator took part in WW I

THE Rhodesia Herald reported on August 29, 1913: “First coloured aviator Mr Rushdi Attaullah, the younger son of the late Ahmad Attaoullah Effendi of Cape Town, stands as the first coloured South African to obtain an aviation certificate. “An English publication notes that ‘he is the first Turk in England to master aviation sufficiently to be recognised as a pilot. Despite his youth, he speaks several languages fluently, with his English being exceptionally proficient. Flights will commence as soon as the airplane is ready. “Mr Attaullah is, in reality, not a Turk but a South African, born in Kimberley. His father was a South African, and his mother was the eldest sister of Dr Abdurahman. He has returned to Turkey, where he will oversee the first Turkish army aeroplane.” Undoubtedly,…

2 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

Acceptance can lead to a more fulfilling life

Why do people believe that when someone says, “face the facts”, they will be confronted with truths they do not want to hear? Maybe it’s because of a cliché; the truth hurts. On second thought, life challenges are less terrifying when we know there are solutions. It’s easier to handle harsh truths when we know there is a path leading us to greater heights. Could accepting the harsh realities of life be the key to living a fulfilling existence? These insights look at the harsh realities faced today and how we can use research to adjust our views to understand and accept certain harsh truths about life. Many influential thinkers, including of Stoicism, believed that we live better lives when we are aware of death, and science agrees too. Recent…

3 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

Full circle moment for Proteas’ Piedt, Conrad

The sporting industry is normally cut-throat and unforgiving. However, once in a while, it produces great life stories and comebacks. Dane Piedt’s return to the Proteas set-up is one of those great stories, after he claimed a five-wicket haul in the second Test against New Zealand in Hamilton yesterday. Prior to the Test tour of New Zealand, Piedt’s last series was against India away in 2019, where the Faf du Plessis-led side were handed a thrashing, losing all three matches. Piedt would go on to take only three wickets on that tour, and was then dropped. Expecting that that was his last dance in Proteas whites, the right-arm off-spinner packed his bags and moved to the US. Faced with a Black Caps team that has a number of left-handed top-order…

3 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

Captain Am has hope for Sharks

SHARKS coach John Plumtree is cagey about which Springboks he will deploy against the Stormers at Kings Park on Saturday (5.05pm kick-off), but the one bone that he threw to the media was the gentleman sitting next to him at Tuesday’s media conference. “Lukhanyo (Am) will be there, but otherwise you will have to wait until Friday when we announce our team. Otherwise, Eben (Etzebeth) has had a small operation on his knee, while Bongi Mbonambi is at last ready to play his first game of the season for us (he was injured early in the World Cup final),” the Kiwi said. Plumtree made it clear at the press conference that he is unamused at having had to pick under-strength Sharks teams since he began his second tenure at the…

3 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

Tiger Woods ready to tee it up at the Genesis Invitational

Tiger Woods played a quick nine holes on Tuesday before letting the cat out of the bag on social media as to when he will tee off at the Genesis Invitational. Woods has that authority, considering he is the host of this week’s event at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. “It’s time! Teeing it up at Riv Thursday at 9:25am and Friday at 11:54am PT,” the 15-time Major champion wrote on X. Woods is paired with Justin Thomas and Gary Woodland in the first round today. As for Tuesday, Woods played the back nine while featuring a different look after ending his 27-year partnership with Nike. He was sporting a black sweater and black shoes that displayed the new tiger stipes logo and ‘SDR’ branding. Woods, 48,…

1 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

tennis club squatters evicted About 100 residents removed by law enforcement following high court decision after 4 years in Green Point ‘Tent City’

THE group of around 100 people evicted from the Three Anchor Bay Tennis Club yesterday said they would now move from squatting in Green Point to other areas in the metro. While the City previously said the majority of the unlawful occupants had indicated a willingness to take up various offers of shelter and social assistance, this was not the case when the Cape Argus visited the site yesterday. The eviction follows a Western Cape High Court order handed down in December, which ordered the occupants to vacate the grassy patch next to the tennis courts by January 31. Yesterday, law enforcement and police facilitated their eviction. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said last week: “The majority of the remaining occupants have accepted either an offer of dignified transitional shelter, or of…

3 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

Bail hearing for UK mom put on hold

THE bail hearing for a UK mom accused of fleeing her home town and hiding in Sea Point have been put on hold due to bungled paperwork. The expected appearance of Caroline Sevier, 51, in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court was marred by confusion this week as it was revealed that she was never brought from Pollsmoor Prison to appear. Sevier was arrested by the Hawks and Interpol last month alongside her son, Callum Gower, for allegedly fleeing their home in Sussex as they faced a string of drug charges. In the extradition application, UK authorities outlined the details of the investigation into the duo. According to a statement by the Chief Crown Prosecutor, the information compiled in the application dated back to June 2020 when a warrant of arrest…

1 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

Accused ‘planned killings of six sex workers’

The investigating officer in the case against suspected serial rapist Sifiso Mkhwanazi, on trial for killing six sex workers, has rubbished claims made by the accused that his crimes were not premeditated, but a mistake. The case began on February 1 at the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court. The evidence seems to suggest that Mkhwanazi, 21, planned the murders as a way to avenge his earlier 10-month prison stint on a false rape charge. Mkhwanazi faces six counts of murder, rape and aggravating circumstances after six bodies were discovered at his father’s warehouse in October 2022, more than six months after the disappearance of the first victim. The investigating officer, Bongani Mbonambi, testified that all the evidence pointed to a pre-determined and planned killing…

1 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

LEGISLATURE Andile Lili blames ANC’s step-aside rule for absenteeism

ANC MPL Andile Lili says the reason for his absenteeism from the legislature for 15 consecutive days was because of the party’s step-aside policy imposed on him after he was criminally charged for allegedly assaulting a school principal. Legislature Speaker Daylin Mitchell wrote to Lili requesting reasons for his absence from the House between February 16 and November 28 last year. This is because Section 15(3)(c) of the constitution of the Western Cape provides that “a person loses membership in the provincial parliament (legislature) if that person is absent from the provincial parliament without permission in circumstances for which the rules and orders of the provincial parliament prescribe loss of membership.” Mitchell said Lili’s absenteeism without required leave was brought to the attention of the legislature. “Member Lili was afforded…

2 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

Sleeping rough: CPUT students in living crisis

HUNDREDS of Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) students are continuing to sleep in the university’s Multipurpose Hall at the District Six campus, while the university processes eligible students for accommodation. On Tuesday, more than 100 students at the CPUT Bellville campus were removed from the university’s Student Centre by campus security. Many of those at the centre were first year students with pending statuses on their residence applications. Speaking at the District Six campus yesterday, EFF Student Command task team member assisting the students, Xolani Booi, attributed the accommodation crisis to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme’s (NSFAS) accommodation pilot project. In terms of the scheme, NSFAS would take over the accreditation and renting of accommodation with private landlords, taking this function away from universities. “The problem they are…

3 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

Major gains with R292m Sir Lowry’s Pass project

PROGRESS into the R292 million upgrade of Sir Lowry’s Pass River in an effort to reduce flooding in Gordon’s Bay was progressing well, the City said. The pass, located in the Hottentots Holland Mountain Nature Reserve at around 1 200 metres above sea level, was expected to be completed by 2026 after it started in February last year. Water and Sanitation Mayco member Zahid Badroodien announced that the upgrade would protect residents from future flooding and open up significant undeveloped land for residential development. “Because of the kind of mountains that surround the river, the region has concentrated downpours for brief periods, which leaves the river vulnerable to severe flooding. “With its ongoing programmes for river maintenance and upgrades, the City is making incredible progress. “There are similar flood alleviation…

1 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

South Africans have the power to end load shedding

We need to be honest with ourselves: the apartheid regime managed things better. I know some don’t want to hear this. The houses that were built by that regime remain strong even today. Yet the ANC called them “matchboxes”. Government departments and its utilities were well managed. I’m not in any way comparing apartheid to democracy. Apartheid remains a crime against humanity. The apartheid regime did good things for the white community and treated blacks as sub-humans. Not only that, but it also killed, maimed and tortured black people for being different. That was cruel. Before 1994, Eskom was among the best-performing utilities in South Africa. It was managed by engineers and competent managers. It also had reserves and supplied electricity to other countries in Africa. Electricity was cheap and…

2 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

EE: Why does government want to hobble big businesses?

Draft Regulations on Proposed Sectoral Numerical Targets were printed in The Government Gazette on February 1, 2024. This set of regulations is open for public comment for 90 days from February 1, 2024. Should any member of the public wish to comment on the regulations after having read them, they should write to: Innocent.makwarela@labour.gov.za Although I do not accept the necessity or the legality of the Employment Equity Act and its regulation, it is necessary to carefully look at these regulations and to comment thereon. I will be sending in my comments in due course to the ministry. The minister may set Sectoral Numerical Targets after identifying National Economic Sectors. The minister must consult with the relevant sectors to ensure the equitable representation of suitably qualified people from…

3 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

Sona misrepresented SA’s educational trajectory

Since the start of 2024, South Africans have been forced to contend with continual load shedding, a lack of municipal services such as water, particularly in the eThekwini areas, and a new petrol and diesel price hike. The inability of our municipality to address the inconsistent and non-supply of water to people has once again questioned the intent and capacity of our leading political parties, whom they employ and the reason for no immediate remedy to this challenge. South Africans are frustrated and angry, but these emotions have encouraged many of us to become more critical, analytical and perhaps vocal about our needs as a nation. On Monday, February 8, we eagerly awaited and anticipated the State of the Nation Address (Sona), and many of us have been disappointed. Expert…

4 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

Mokoena urges Bafana to ‘keep going, keep fighting’

Bafana Bafana’s players might still be basking in the glory of their third-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations, but they want to build on that momentum quickly. Bafana landed back on South African shores yesterday morning following their impressive outing at the recently concluded Afcon in Ivory Coast. And they were given a warm welcome at OR Tambo International Airport as fans defied the early Valentine’s Day festivities to duly welcome them back. But for Bafana captain Ronwen Williams, the fact that they were the third-best team at the finals hadn’t sunk in yet. “Not yet. We are still living in the moment. What we’ve achieved over the last few weeks still feels unreal,” Williams said in the media briefing afterwards. Williams had the right to feel that…

3 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

Stormers pack ‘push each other to the max’ in scrums

If you lose Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe at the start of a new season, you would expect your scrum to struggle a bit. But that has not been the case for the Stormers, and one of the unsung heroes in that regard has been loosehead prop Sti Sithole. Having made his provincial bow at Western Province, a lack of regular game time saw Sithole – who is from Durban – leave Cape Town and seek greener pastures first at the Southern Kings in the Eastern Cape, and then the Lions in Johannesburg. The former Junior Springbok was then brought back to the Stormers this season after Kitshoff’s move to Ulster, and he has shone in what has been a remarkable effort by the tight five in the scrums. Along…

3 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

SuperSport on the Hunt as Stephens sticks with Stellies

SuperSport United ‘host’ Stellenbosch FC in a DStv Premiership tie at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Friday night (7pm kick-off) looking to not only confirm their status as potential challengers to Mamelodi Sundowns’ reign as champions, but also eager to maintain their recent superiority over the Cape Winelands team. Matsatsantsa a Pitori are currently third in the table with 29 points, the same as second-placed Cape Town City, some nine points behind the Brazilians, who have two games in hand. Stellies are also there and thereabouts in fourth position, Steve Barker’s team boasting 26 points from 15 matches, and no doubt believing they are in the running for continental football participation. It makes for a fascinating clash that SuperSport coach Gavin Hunt must be confident of winning, given the recent…

3 min

Cape Argus|2024-02-15

‘Emotional’ Hamilton unveils Mercedes’ 2024 car

Lewis Hamilton admitted it felt “emotional” and “surreal” to take part in the final Formula One car launch of his Mercedes career yesterday. Hamilton, a seven-time Formula One world champion, will leave Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season in a stunning switch to Ferrari. The 39-year-old had signed a new two-year deal with Mercedes worth £100 million in August. But Hamilton recently activated a break clause to seal his move to the Italian team after admitting the prospect of “driving in Ferrari red” was too hard to turn down. Speaking at the Mercedes launch for the first time since his blockbuster move was confirmed, Hamilton said: “The last few weeks have obviously been emotional, and it is very surreal to be here. “The focus through the whole of…

3 min