Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-07-23 i Cape Argus

POPULAR South African pop rock band, The Parlotones, plan to release a series of EPs that document their evolution as artists. The band comprises Kahn Morbee, brothers Glen and Paul Hodgson, Neil Pauw, Rob Davidson and newcomer Trevor Rebello. After taking a two-year hiatus before returning to the music scene last year, they recently dropped their first EP titled Early Recordings. Their six-song offering includes tracks like Shine, Stare at the Sun, Ghosts and Superstars, which has never been available on digital platforms. Meanwhile, Butterfly and For Heaven’s Sake were recorded back in 2002. The idea of releasing a series of EPs came about after Paul found numerous songs backed up on an old hard drive. This saw the group delve into their rich history as they unveiled a collection…

Surfer recalls how he tried to rescue young men caught in rip currents at Lagoon Beach Recounting the moments before two young men were caught in a rip current at Lagoon Beach in Milnerton, a witness said they were enjoying a game of beach soccer when the ball landed in the water. The game ended in tragedy after the bodies of the 19- and 20-year-old, who went missing at Lagoon Beach on Sunday, were retrieved from the water yesterday morning just after 11am. The two were part of a local soccer team playing on the beach on Sunday. Authorities confirmed that two bodies, believed to be the two soccer players, had been retrieved yesterday during the spring low tide. Spokesperson for the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Craig Lambinon said…

LABOUR federation Cosatu says it will investigate allegations that 33 Intercape bus company drivers were dismissed for joining a union. The axed employees had reportedly joined the National Union for All Sectors (Nufas) in May, before attending disciplinary hearings on July 8. Union representative, Jean Baker, said workers reported that since joining the union, the company “sabotaged” them. “The workers had to sit in a room for eight hours without water and food just because they refused to hand in their own cellphones and sign an attendance register. “They know how they abuse the employees and they didn’t want them to record all of this. “This has never happened before joining the union. “Two guys joined the union and they were called into a meeting and they left their cellphones…

THE Western Cape Government has been awarded the esteemed Public Service Innovation Award from the UN Public Service Forum. The province clinched the award out of 400 entries from over 70 countries, at an award ceremony that took place in Incheon, South Korea, last month. The UN Public Service Awards recognise the creative achievements and contributions of public service institutions that lead to a more effective and responsive public administration towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The award to the Western Cape Government was not for a specific project, but in recognition of its general embrace of innovation to improve service delivery. Western Cape Premier Alan Winde expressed his gratitude. “We have always worked extremely hard in developing and nurturing innovation in our government, which is a key value we…

WITH less than 100 days to go before matrics write their final exams, a Mitchells Plain great-grandmother is appealing for assistance following several unsuccessful attempts to see her great-grandson, a Grade 12 learner, obtain a valid ID. Great-grandmother Hester Prince, 81, from New Woodlands, said the family have been trying to obtain a valid ID since her great-grandson was 16 years old. The teenager possesses a birth certificate but has been struggling to register for an ID card due to the whereabouts of his parents being unknown and their documentation not being accessible. “His mother lived here and he was born here. When she was 21, she lived with her boyfriend, but not for long. Then when he returned to me, he was four years old and he was in…

How could the President justify paying each one of his ministers and deputy ministers more than R200 000 a month. Yes R200 000 a month. It is mind boggling that each one of these members of the bloated Cabinet gets paid monthly more than what 1 000 old-age people get paid a month. The president and the ANC were very astute. They pulled wool over the eyes of their “GNU” counterparts. But they could not worry because they have been eyeing “positions”. They became ministers and deputy ministers and they knew they would be smiling all the way to the bank. Please add other perks, free air tickets, housing allowance, free accommodation, medical aids, state vehicles with drivers. Quantify them: each one will be getting in excess of R300 000…

IN RECENT years, Zimbabwe has witnessed significant political and economic turmoil, often accompanied by reports of human rights abuses and government repression. Despite these troubling developments, international response and media coverage have been surprisingly muted. This silence raises critical questions about global priorities and the mechanisms of international advocacy. Zimbabwe’s journey since its independence in 1980 has been tumultuous. The country was once seen as a beacon of hope in Africa, with a promising economy and a robust social fabric. However, under the long rule of Robert Mugabe, and now his successor Emmerson Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe has faced severe economic decline, corruption, and widespread human rights abuses. The government’s tactics have included suppressing dissent, manipulating elections, and using security forces to intimidate and harm opposition members and activists. Economic mismanagement has…

The Hague: Artificial intelligence-linked images of child sex abuse are on the rise, Europe’s policing agency warned yesterday, saying the material made it increasingly difficult to identify victims and perpetrators. Criminals have been adopting AI tools and services to carry out a range of crimes from online fraud and cyberattacks, to creating explicit images of children, Europol said. More than 300 million children a year are victims of online sexual exploitation and abuse, University of Edinburgh researchers said. Offences ranged from so-called sextortion, to the abuse of AI technology to create deepfake videos and pictures, the university’s Childlight Global Safety Institute said. | AFP…

The Blitzboks will rely heavily on their hot-stepping try scorer Shilton van Wyk when their bid to win a first Olympic gold medal starts tomorrow afternoon in Paris. Van Wyk, 24, is one of seven Springbok Sevens players who will be making their debuts at the Olympic Games this week and the speedster is looking forward to creating more memories with the side as part of Team South Africa in the French capital. Hailing from the small West Coast town of Saldanha Bay, he hopes his participation will also inspire more kids to dream big and chase their goals. He says representing South Africa at the Olympic Games was never part of his goals while he was growing up. “It’s probably the biggest achievement in my family, and that is…

The George Regional Court has sentenced convicted wife killer Andrew Fleming to 27 years’ direct imprisonment for repeatedly stabbing his spouse to death on April 27 last year. The court yesterday also ordered him to serve 18 years before being placed on parole. Fleming, 43, confessed in a plea and sentencing agreement to repeatedly stabbing his wife, Karen Fleming, 52, on Freedom Day, after they had been married for 14 years with no children. He said his wife’s mother, sister and niece interfered in their marriage to such an extent that he stopped communicating with them for four years. On April 26, 2023, Karen planned to attend a brunch with her mother and sister, and Fleming asked her not to go as she always returned upset and hurt after visiting…

AS THE murder trial involving the alleged kingpin of a criminal gang that killed at least 12 people in Khayelitsha got under way in the Western Cape High Court yesterday, the court heard about the “demise of two key witnesses”. Additionally, another critical witness remains in hiding after he was attacked earlier this month. Yanga “Bara” Nyalara appeared with co-accused Wanda Tofile in the high court sitting in the Goodwood Prison Circuit Court. Initially, police charged four men, but the charges against Manelisi Ngumla and Lundi Zweni were withdrawn. The State alleges that Nyalara is a kingpin in a criminal gang who, among other crimes, was extorting informal businesses operating in Khayelitsha. Nyalara and Tofile face 12 counts of murder, six of attempted murder, and illegal possession of an…

Dear Mr. President, Thank you for presenting a five-year plan for the Government of National Unity. Thank you for mentioning Persons with Disabilities (PWD) as part of the future of an inclusive and transformational society. Allow me to suggest a few ways in which this laudable aspiration can be a meaningful, specific action plan: 1. Central to your speech was a focus on job creation. For most PWD this begins and ends with internships. Why can’t the government implement a policy to incentivise companies/organisations/authorities/government administration to create meaningful and sustainable jobs for PWD? 2. In terms of combating poverty – a second important element in your speech – why not extend the current system of social grants for households with persons with severe disabilities to include a more inclusive approach…

EXCELLENT article by Lorenzo Davids published in the Cape Argus warning not only against the “alternative facts” spouted by politicians, but the slow erosion of the concept of truth itself. One assumes that the intent is to stop us fact-checking, and just follow blindly, and vote as instructed. Terrifying, and we need to realise it’s not just the politicians and the evangelical preachers – it’s also social media, where you must go with the ground-swell, or be cancelled. Recently several US universities’ students gathered to sing From the River to the Sea without even knowing which river or sea. Harmless, maybe, because irrelevant to the conflict, but alarm-ing that so-called intelligentsia didn’t do some fact-checking. Lorenzo’s warning may be too late for them. Luckily age has brought me cynicism, and…

This week newly-appointed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu promised to meet local crime-fighting authorities with the aim of combating gang violence, particularly in the Western Cape. Soon after Mchunu’s appointment on July 3, anti-crime activists and community leaders implored him to stop the blood-letting in the Western Cape, with many saying the Cape Flats was under siege by criminals. The day before the minister addressed an imbizo in Hanover Park at the weekend, law enforcement officers came under attack. Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith, lauded the ShotSpotter system, saying it had detected over 30 shots being fired and officers were deployed directly to the site. Smith said he called for a meeting with the Police Ministry three months ago, as gang violence continues to surge. “I also don’t…

BELGRADE: A gunman opened fire in a nursing home in Croatia yesterday, killing at least six people in a rare instance of gun violence in the Balkan country. Five residents and one employee were dead after the gunman entered the private nursing home in eastern Croatia’s Daruvar and went on a killing spree, police said. The gunman fled but was later arrested at a cafe, where he was carrying unregistered firearms. The man had a previous police record for disturbing public order and domestic abuse, police said Reports described the suspected shooter as a retired military police officer. | AFP…

The Springboks can look back at four successful Tests under the returning Rassie Erasmus that yielded a 75% success rate but, more importantly, kick-started ‘Project 2027’ with plenty of positives. A last-gasp drop goal in the second Test against Ireland prevented a clean sweep in the first four Tests under the World Cup-winning coach, but convincing wins over Wales and Portugal, with plenty of fresh faces successfully making their debuts, will trump that loss for now. The year will only get tougher, though, when the Springboks begin their campaign in the Rugby Championship Down Under against one of their traditional southern hemisphere rivals, Australia, next month. At the end of August and start of September arch-rivals New Zealand head to Johannesburg and Cape Town for double Tests in the tournament.…

The arrest of Serbian national Marko Ninic in a R252 million cocaine sting in Stilbaai has led to crime fighters calling on the government to safeguard harbours against drug cartels. Heinrich Hartnick, chairperson of the Da Gamaskop Community Policing Forum cluster, said increased drug trafficking through small harbours needed urgent action. This follows the arrest of two men by Stilbaai police in a tip-off about suspicious activities at the harbour on Friday. At the time, Southern Cape police spokesperson Christopher Spies explained that the suspects initially escaped the clutches of police after fleeing in their vehicle during a chase, but their escape was short-lived as police traced the suspects to a local establishment. Police recovered a rubber duck attached to a Pajero and during a search they discovered 14 bags…

FOUR Hanover Park residents accused of attacking law enforcement officers during an arrest have been granted R800 bail by the Athlone Magistrate’s Court. Tauriq Cupido, Shakeel Kippie and Erefaan Kippie, along with Suad Kippie, made their first appearance in court yesterday on public violence charges after the attack, which saw an officer being pelted in the face with a brick. The incident, caught on camera, captured the attention of Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who condemned the attack. Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith said the officers were reacting to a ShotSpotter alert in Hanover Park on Friday morning when they came under attack. When the officers arrived, they spotted a gunman, who pointed his firearm at the officers, who in return shot and wounded the suspect. Bystanders helped…

The tension between ANC and DA over the finalisation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill is being viewed as a major test for the newly formed Government of National Unity (GNU). The Amendment Bill was passed by the National Assembly in May but sits on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s desk, awaiting his signature. Some political parties, including the DA and ActionSA, and civil society organisations have rejected the bill and threatened to challenge it in court, while the ANC, the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union and other unions supported the bill, which was crafted under then Education Minister Angie Motshekga. The contentious bill seeks to amend key education laws in South Africa and has sparked controversy and drew criticism from various quarters. The Bela Bill proposes significant amendments…

The SA Revenue Service (SARS) announced that it will impose a 45% import tax on goods that cost R500 or less, imported from China through online retailers such as Shein and Temu. Unions and businesses praise this as a “levelling of the playing field”, but for the consumer it simply translates to higher prices. SARS decided to stop the abuse of the de minimis rule. In international trade this rule refers to a threshold below which certain goods are exempt from customs duties, taxes, or import restrictions. In SA, this threshold is/was R500, resulting in locals being able to purchase clothing items at lower prices. The 45% import tax is the same rate paid by retailers. South African stakeholders in the textile industry argue that companies like Shein and Temu…

I am extremely angry this week. I am angry because I have spent the past two weeks trying to accommodate people living on the streets in dignified and sustainable places of accommodation, with the assistance of a small group of donors. And we have had to do this because THIS CITY DOESN’T CARE FOR YOU if you happen to live on the streets. And I am going to explain to you why I say this. I don’t believe that certain groups of individuals should ever have to be subjected to the hardness, danger and the indignity of sleeping on the streets. These groups would include elderly persons, disabled persons, abused moms with kids and families who land up on the streets due to financial challenges. These individuals should not…

Everyone agrees that solving the unemployment problem in South Africa is the number one priority for economic policy for the new government, as it has been for all governments since 1994. What is less clear, and highly contested, is what should be done to solve this problem. It’s worth starting by acknowledging that the problem is complex and there are no easy solutions. It is important to understand why unemployment is such a vexed problem, why it has remained a feature of the post-apartheid labour market, why some parts of the problem are found in other countries and why others are unique to South Africa. And how solving unemployment may be related to wider economic policies. But address it South Africa must – because it’s the primary driver of inequality,…

US Vice-President Kamala Harris was moving swiftly yesterday to try to lock up the Democratic presidential nomination, the day after President Joe Biden, 81, abandoned his re-election bid in the face of growing opposition by his own party. Campaign officials and allies have already made hundreds of calls on her behalf, urging delegates to next month’s Democratic Party convention to join in nominating her for president in the November 5 election against Republican Donald Trump. Biden’s exit was the latest shock to a White House race that in the past 10 days has seen former president Trump nearly assassinated by a gunman during a campaign stop before he locked in fellow hardliner US Senator JD Vance as his running mate. “My intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris,…

Addis Ababa: At least 55 people were killed in a landslide in a remote area of southern Ethiopia yesterday, local authorities said, warning that the death toll could rise. “More than 55 bodies have been found from the landslide,” a statement from the Gofa zone Communications Affairs Department said, quoting local chief Dagmawi Zerihun, who warned “the death toll could yet increase”. The landslide occurred following heavy rains in the remote region, Dagmawi said. He added that the search for survivors was “continuing vigorously”. | AFP…

Makhehleni Makhaula has been on an upward trajectory at Orlando Pirates and he believes that being more clinical in front of goal will earn him more recognition. Makhaula was an influential figure in Pirates’ progression in the second half of last season. He helped the team defend the Nedbank Cup and finish second in the DStv Premiership. And for one who was regarded as a veteran – he was 33 when he joined the club during the 2022/23 transfer window – Makhaula has shut up his naysayers. His influence has also gone beyond the pitch as he’s playing a big brother role in the dressing room, nurturing youngsters such as Relebohile Mofokeng, who’s 19. Makhaula again played the roll of big brother during their 4-2 Nedbank Cup quarter-final win over…