Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-04-10 i Cape Argus

TWO men allegedly kidnapped by eight men in Chatsworth, Malmesbury, are recovering at home after they were beaten and nearly killed on Monday evening. Malmesbury ward councillor Amber Booysen said one of the victims was taken while he was fixing a roof, while the other was kidnapped from his home. Chris Jones, 39, and the other victim, 20, were found alive yesterday, after being beaten in Dunoon. Jones’s mother, Cathy, said: “He is now safe at home, he was badly injured. I want to thank everyone who helped look for him. We trust God will help us with this case.” Booysen said that the pair were almost killed. “They escaped as the people were about to burn them alive. “They had already put them in big drums, we don’t know…

IN WHAT is shaping up to be one of the best line-ups in a history of outstanding programmes, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) is pulling out all the stops to ensure that its comeback on May 3 and 4 is one to be enjoyed and remembered. True to its roots of providing the performance space for a mix of established and bright new talent, this year’s festival will showcase African music royalty alongside their international counterparts. Joining the already announced artists are the vocal tones of Tunde Baiyewu of Lighthouse Family (UK); alternative R&B group Moonchild (USA); Grammy-winning bassist virtuoso and experimental musician, singer, and songwriter MonoNeon (USA), who brings his unique existential jazz-funk to the party; and Francesca Biancoli’s (Italy/SA) contemporary melding of jazz and neo-soul, which…

FIVE Western Cape municipalities have been allocated more than R16 million in disaster grants by Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Thembi Nkadimeng. Yesterday, Nkadimeng said the impact of disasters in South Africa had far-reaching consequences. These disasters left not only a trail of destruction in their wake, but have also broken family structures, disrupted communities, endangered livelihoods, and put a strain on infrastructure, she said. “The devastation and hardship witnessed in the aftermath of these disasters serve as a reminder of the challenges we confront in our collective pursuit of improving disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and moving towards a more resilient state.” She said through the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), her department has allocated funding for grants to disaster-stricken areas, playing a crucial role in facilitating the…

As Ramadaan comes to an end and Muslims welcome Eid-ul-Fitr, I would like to acknowledge the courage and dedication of the doctors, nurses, paramedics, aid workers, journalists and other organisations and institutions working in the besieged Gaza strip. Although humanitarians are valued and treasured around the globe, apartheid Israel does not respect the principles of international and human rights laws. The targeting and murdering of members of the World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza is evidence of how apartheid Israel values the rule of law. Unfortunately, the logistical information, such as the vehicles being clearly marked and easily identifiable with the charity’s logo and members of the charity working in a deconflicted zone controlled by the IDF, whose travelling arrangements were known by apartheid Israel, seemed to be lost…

I FEEL I must reply to Yagyah Adams’ letter “Why Godless Zionists bombed the World Central Kitchen” (Argus, April 8). I cannot allow the hatred he spewed to be left unchallenged. “Zionism is a Godless ideology” he claims. That is an affront to Jews everywhere who embraced Zionism as the yearning of Jews to return to their biblical and historical homeland. And with the founding of the State of Israel, Judaism was the religious core that cemented their new-found freedom. It’s a modern attempt to disguise anti-semitism by driving a wedge between the two. His take on ‘Zionism’ allows him to go on a rampage: “a mental and spiritual evil”, “you enjoy the suffering of others”, “killing the other is easy”, “support the killing of children”, and so on. Is…

The promise and the aim of the South African Constitution is that we are all equal. That we are far from realising the ideal is evident every day. Actions of our leaders in government often gravely undermine the notion of equality and raise the question whether they share the ideal or whether it is merely a paper promise, made to keep the masses quiet, but certainly not applicable to “senior” people. At last, a senior government figure is being prosecuted; many more should be in the dock, instead of being high on the ANC election list. The most senior politician to be prosecuted, protested about the fact that she, a “senior”, was about to be arrested. She did not get away with that ill-advised nonsense. Former speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa Nqakula…

Nairobi: Hundreds of hospital doctors joined a demonstration in the streets of Nairobi yesterday as a nationwide strike by medics neared its fourth week. About a dozen riot police in trucks were out to monitor the protest, which was not authorised by the authorities. Members of the 7 000-strong Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union have been on strike since March 13 to demand better pay and working conditions, disrupting health care at the country’s 57 public hospitals. The union rejected an offer by the government that included paying arrears under a 2017 collective bargaining agreement. | AFP…

Bukavu: Chinese peacekeepers with the UN stabilisation mission in eastern DR Congo attended a departure ceremony yesterday as the force withdraws from the war-torn region. The 15 000 Monusco troops deployed in the country started to leave in February at the request of the Kinshasa government, which considers them ineffective. The withdrawal is to be carried out in three phases. The 200-strong Chinese contingent is made up of mostly civil engineers and doctors. At its peak, there were 20 000 UN troops in the country. Over 270 peacekeepers were killed there. | AFP…

IT is generally acknowledged that sex before a competitive sporting event is a no. It is for that reason athletes in most sports go on camp prior to events. Keep them away from their spouses lest they are tempted to engage, right? But is making whoopee before racing really that bad? A former Two Oceans Marathon winner would argue otherwise. Back in 1982, Ben Choeu sprung a huge surprise when he won The World’s Most Beautiful Marathon as a novice. Now a retired man who whiles away his time as a taxi driver out in Secunda, Mpumalanga, Choeu – originally from Glen Cowie village in Limpopo – chuckles at the memories of this race. Here’s his story as he told it to me … “I went to the 1982 Two…

A Paarl family is mourning the death of father-of-four Alfons Kakwata, who was crushed by an uprooted tree during the black south-easter on Sunday. The security guard at a Wellington farm was on duty, patrolling at about 8am, when the tree fell on him during gale-force winds. His widow, Katrina Kakwata, said she last spoke to him minutes before the freak accident. “I called him to tell him that a neighbour’s zinc flew and broke our window, he said we would talk about it when he got home. “Around 9am, my brother-in-law told me he was going to come and see me. “I immediately had a bad feeling. It got worse when I saw his bosses coming into my home. “They told me there was an accident – he was…

THE Cape Flats has always been rich in talent, including some of the greatest storytellers around. These authors were at the first Cape Flats Literary Awards held on Saturday at the Krystal Beach Hotel in Gordon’s Bay, where Shofar Books, formally known as Tshienda Publications, based in Kuils River, hosted the prestigious event. Ninety of the Cape’s celebrated authors were listed for the awards. Authors published by Shofar Books came from across South Africa, as well as from the US, to crown the deserving authors. Strandfontein’s Stanley Jacobs from Cape Flats Stories, won the award for Best Novel in Afrikaaps. Michelle Ohlsson from Michells Plain scooped an award for her Contribution to Literary Arts for her book, Without A Trace: The Matthew Ohlsson Story. Robyn Le Roux won for her…

MOBILE animal clinics have been set-up for destitute pets in areas worst affected by the inclement weather experienced this week. While mop-up operations were still afoot across the Cape metro yesterday, the Cape of Good Hope (CoGH) SPCA said many animals in Strand, Sir Lowry’s Pass, Kayamandi and Khayelitsha were hungry, cold and tired. CoGH SPCA spokesperson Belinda Abraham said that their teams were in the field to assist animals without shelter, while their mobile clinics were deployed. “Where people suffer, animals suffer by default. We don’t have exact stats at the moment, and our teams are still out in the field. “There are many animals without shelter and exposed to the elements or left homeless by the fact that their homes have been damaged or destroyed. “Animals experience the…

The ANC is made up of a cunning lot as they target another win from the upcoming elections. Skilful planning leading up to the elections has focused on two key areas: crime and electricity. The ANC has upped its actions against some criminal elements by dispatching the miscreants into oblivion, sending a clear message to the sheep who support it that it is in control. For the past 13 days, no load shedding. This will, no doubt, continue up to May 29 when the millions of sheep will make their way to the polling stations. Like them or not, the ANC inner core is resolute in retaining control, by any means possible, so they will embark on visible actions that will endear them to the gullible masses who have blindly…

A couple of weeks ago I was bored and surfing the channels and then stopped at ENCA's Judge For Yourself , hosted by Judge Dennis Davis. His guests were recently appointed Co-ordinator for Organised Crime in SA and Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions in the NPA , Advocate Elaine Moonsamy and General Shadrack Sibiya from SAPS. The topic was about organised crime in SA and the challenges faced. In a 193 country survey , South Africa ranks 7th and 3rd in Africa , even ahead of notorious places like Nigeria and Senegal. SA has become a breeding ground and haven for organised crime. The Steinhoff saga is a typical example of organised crime. First it was the Gold Mafia and now it's the Construction Mafia and Adv. Moonsamy is vocal…

SOCIAL media has become an interesting ground to unpack conversations about the 2024 elections, which will mark a watershed moment in South Africa. In the past few months, all political parties have been out in full force, with each proving why they are worthy of getting votes from citizens. The elections scheduled for May 29 will mark 30 years of democracy. The road to the elections has not been without controversy, from the son of Jacob Zuma, the former president of South Africa, Duduzane Zuma, being kicked off the ballot paper, to the former president going head-to-head with the IEC. Duduzane has been bemoaning his expulsion from the elections for his newly established political party, All Game Changers (AGC), which he claimed would make him a viable candidate in the…

Addis Ababa: Thirty-eight bodies, including those of children, have been found after a shipwreck off the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti, the UN’s International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said yesterday. The IOM said that at least six other people were missing and presumed dead after the “tragic shipwreck”, while 22 survivors were being helped by its Djibouti office. The Ethiopian embassy said the accident involved 60 Ethiopian migrants from Djibouti. The IOM said almost 1 000 migrants had died or gone missing on the “Eastern Route” since 2014. | AFP…

Most of the attention in Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona tomorrow will be on Kylian Mbappe, but Ousmane Dembele is also set to have a big role to play for the French club against his former side. Mbappe, who is expected to be coming up against Barca in a Real Madrid shirt next season, has 39 goals for PSG in this campaign. Dembele only has one. However, the player described by newspaper Le Parisien last week as a “tearaway” offers something different, even if Barcelona are all too aware of what the 26-year-old winger can do with a ball at his feet. The France star returned to his home country in August last year after six seasons in Catalonia, with PSG paying a reported €50 million to sign…

ATHLETES have been warned to be cautious while training for the upcoming Two Oceans Marathon, set to take place this weekend, after two women were mugged while running in Imizamo Yethu, Hout Bay. The pair had been training for Saturday’s 56km ultra-marathon and 21km half-marathon, held annually in Cape Town, when they were accosted by three men who fled with their belongings. According to a Facebook post by the Fish Hoek Athletics Club chairperson, Russell Mackintosh, a cellphone and backpack were taken. “I am deeply saddened to have to advise of an unfortunate and concerning incident that occurred during a recent Two Oceans club training run. “Two of our members were attacked by three men in Hout Bay, just past the circle at Imizamo Yethu. “One of them had her…

ELECTRICITY Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has attributed the prolonged suspension of load shedding to the ramping-up of maintenance by Eskom at the end of last year and January. Ramokgopa said that there has been no load shedding in almost two weeks, because Eskom had taken 18% of total generation capacity for maintenance, and these units were now coming back on stream. These were measures that Eskom had decided it would implement to ensure energy security supply. However, the minister said they were working on a number of other initiatives to address load shedding. “On the plant condition, we made the point that the ramping-up of planned maintenance (is) very important. “If you look at the period December 2023 going into January of 2024, we took out 18% of the total…

THE University of the Western Cape (UWC) has honoured its former and first rector and vice-chancellor of colour, Professor Richard Ernest van der Ross, with a bust located at its Faculty of Education building. The bust memorialising Van der Ross, warmly referred to as “Dickie”, was unveiled yesterday. Van der Ross was appointed as the rector and vice-chancellor in 1975, becoming the first person of colour to occupy the position, and would oversee the university’s transition from being a college of the University of South Africa to a fully autonomous university. Other notable roles held by him included president of the Labour Party of South Africa, the first editor of the Cape Herald newspaper, principal of a teacher training school, and assistant education planner in the Department of Coloured Affairs.…

The prevailing circumstances affecting healthcare services are unique, never experienced in the past, and will need healthcare administrators and hospital managers to put their heads together and develop a solid plan of how to deal with the situation. The first thing necessary is to gather information of how many doctors are there in each province that have been unemployed since completing all their training requirements including housemanship. It is also important to know if there are others who must still be placed in various hospitals for housemanship, because there was a time when there was no money to pay for housemanship. The number of nurses of all categories who have also been unemployed, including those whose contracts were abruptly terminated because of lack of funds, must also be considered. While…

THERE is a commonly held misconception that the idea of state capture is something that began and ended with Zuma and the Guptas, and that this chapter is now behind us. But that is entirely wrong. The Guptas did not capture the state through Zuma and his allies in the ANC. The capturing part had happened a long time ago. What the Guptas did was simply loot this captured state with the help of a weak and greedy president. They were simply opportunists who spotted a gap to siphon money off state contracts, and in Zuma they found their useful inside man – a crooked security guard who would let them into the vault. None of that would have been possible had the state not already been captured by the…

As South Africa gets ready for its biggest elections since 1994, there’s a buzz in the air about how political parties are trying to win our hearts and minds. But behind the shiny ads and catchy slogans lies a deeper story – one about how marketing can sometimes lead us down the wrong path. Think about it: just like how companies try to sell us stuff, politicians try to sell us their ideas. But here’s the catch: sometimes, those ideas don’t match up with reality. And guess who gets caught in the middle? Yep, it’s us, the voters. Now, imagine you’re not super clued up on all the political stuff. Maybe you don’t have easy access to information or maybe you’re just too busy with life to dig into it…

Israel bombed targets in Gaza yesterday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted the army would destroy Hamas despite the Cairo ceasefire talks continuing. More than six months into the war, Hamas said it was “studying” a new proposal for a temporary truce, submitted during the talks with US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators. Under the plan, fighting would stop for six weeks, 40 women and child hostages would be exchanged for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and up to 500 aid trucks would enter Gaza per day, a Hamas source said. Hamas said it “appreciates” the mediators’ latest efforts but accused Israel of failing to respond to its long-standing demands, including a full withdrawal of forces from Gaza. Netanyahu stressed – despite growing pressure from top ally the US – that Israel…

DUBLIN: Ireland’s parliament yesterday voted in Simon Harris as the country’s new prime minister, replacing Leo Varadkar after he quit last month. Harris, 37, is Ireland’s youngest prime minister and was installed in the role at a ceremony with President Michael D Higgins yesterday. The centre-right Fine Gael party – part of a three-party governing coalition – selected Harris as its leader following an uncontested election. Parliamentarians yesterday voted 88 to 69 in favour of him becoming “taoiseach” – a Gaelic word for “chieftain”, pronounced “tee-shock”. Harris told parliament: “I want to bring new ideas and new energy and I hope a new empathy to public life.” He faces a housing and homelessness crises, and criticism of government policy on asylum seekers. He will also seek to galvanise his struggling…

THE Cricket SA T20 Challenge is left with little over two weeks of round robin fixtures before the semi-finals get under way at the end of the month, but the play-offs have already taken firm shape. The Warriors have been the dominant force in the competition so far as they sit comfortably at the top of the standings with eight victories in nine matches. The Lions, Dolphins and Western Province occupy the rest of the top four spots that guarantee a place in the semi-finals. However, the Titans are still in with a chance to make the knockout stages as they sit fifth in the standings with five more rounds of fixtures remaining in the group stage. Not many would have guessed that the Titans, who are also the defending…