Indholdsfortegnelse for 2022-04-11 i Cape Argus

Easter Sunday run upsets church collective A COLLECTIVE of Fish Hoek Valley churches has strongly objected to the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon being held on Easter Sunday. More than 10 churches based in the seaside town, representing about 5 000 congregants, have taken the organisers of the marathon and the City to task for allegedly overlooking the impact the marathon will have on services on Easter Sunday. Fish Hoek Presbyterian Reverend Michael Muller said despite denominations from the area reaching out to the City and the marathon organisers weeks ago to voice their concerns, they were still overlooked. “Denominations and congregations were not engaged whatsoever by City officials or the marathon’s organisers. Nor were we approached to talk about the proposed plans they had in mind to reduce the problems…

RESIDENTS served by the Muizenberg policing precinct are up in arms over the court case against Muizenberg station commander Vassie Naidoo because of a spike in crime in the area. Naidoo, deputy station commander Margaret Rossouw and two others from the station have been charged with 24 counts of intimidation, the pointing of a firearm, defeating the administration of justice, extortion, assault, fraud, forgery and issuing of a forged document. Naidoo took over the station in December 2018 and was lauded for the improved performance just months after he started steering the ship. Various residential and security associations from Marina Da Gama, Muizenberg, Kalk Bay and other areas that make use of the station have expressed outrage over his recent move out of the station due to the allegations. In…

Community activists and opposition politicians are up in arms about the fact that nearly three months since Albert Fritz was suspended as Community Safety MEC, Premier Alan Winde has yet to appoint a permanent replacement. There is also speculation about who will be named to fill the crucial post on the provincial executive council when the premier finally makes a decision. Spokesperson for the premier, Odette Cason, said: “The premier is applying his mind to the vacancy that exists in his cabinet. He intends to make this appointment soon, and we will communicate the decision when it is made.” Cason said MEC Anroux Marais would continue to act in the position until a permanent replacement was made. EFF provincial chairperson Melikhaya Xego thiought the post would go to DA MPL…

PREMIER Alan Winde has said he will not discipline Local Government MEC Anton Bredell, as advised by the public protector, and has instead taken the report on Bredell's breach of executive ethics code on review. Last October Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane found Winde and Bredell in breach of the Executive Ethics Act, and ordered Winde to act against Bredell within 60 days. This was the second time Bredell had been found in breach of the code. Mkhwebane found that Winde acted unconstitutionally when he told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs in June 2020 that a political agreement between Bredell and DA councillors in the Oudtshoorn Municipality to place the council under the administration of the province was legal. Bredell was found to have breached his…

The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Sexual Offences and Community Affairs (Soca) Unit will today receive a R300 000 donation from local supermarket chain SPAR to assist victims at its Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCC). The handover will take place at the Atlantis TCC at Wesfleur Hospital which serves Atlantis, Pella, Mamre, Philadelphia and Melkbosstrand. It has provided services to more than 2 000 gender-based violence survivors since its inception. Soca’s special director for Public Prosecutions, advocate Bonnie Currie-Gamwo, said the donation would help those who came into the centre to report their tragedies and who might be in need. “One of the ways GBV needs to be addressed from an NPA perspective is that we need to make the system more victim centric. Many of our victims when they arrive in…

ghetto ninja: the junior khanye story Nikolaos Kirkinis Tafelberg Review: Orielle Berry If you read Siya Kolisi’s story, Rise, you’ll find a great amount of traction in Ghetto Ninja: The Junior Khanye Story, about the rise to fame of a kid through the ranks, overcoming the odds of poverty and gangsterism to become a soccer star. Junior Khanye was born in Daveyton, Ekurhuleni, in 1985 – full name Junior Thabo Khanye. Coming from a poor and struggling family, the thing that Junior always dreamt about was making it big in football. Spotted on the field at 17, he was scouted to Kaizer Chiefs, and became a darling of the nation. Similar to Kolisi, he was initially bent on self-destruction and expelled from the team. His bid to regain his dignity…

“We are almost resolving outstanding issues, and I am optimistic that the conference will soon proceed,” says ANC eThekwini region’s task team co-ordinator, Sibongile MaKhathi Mphafi, in the foyer outside the conference room at the ICC. Mphafi is also the mayor of Umdoni Local Municipality. It was exactly 11.20pm on Saturday and delegates were singing outside the conference venue after the second adjournment: “Ngoba yinde lendlela – esiyihambayo – ifuna abalungileyo – abanothando.” This song hits the nail on the head as far as the conference goes – the words clearly describe the patience of delegates and leadership following the adjournment of the conference. The adjournment was ignited by a robust debate on the verification of delegates who should be allowed to participate to vote for the regional chair and…

Diego Maradona’s eldest daughter claims that the Argentina shirt expected to sell for several million dollars when it is sold at auction this month is not the one her late father wore when he scored the infamous “Hand of God” goal against England. Dalma Maradona said the shirt due to go under the hammer was actually the one worn by her father during the goalless first half of the 1986 World Cup quarter-final. She claimed the jersey her father wore in the second half – when he scored one of the greatest goals in World Cup history– was in the hands of another owner, but declined to name him. Steve Hodge, the former England player, is selling the shirt, which is expected to fetch more than £4 million (about R76m).…

France went to the polls yesterday in the first round of presidential elections projected to produce a run-off rematch between incumbent Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen that will be far tighter than their duel five years ago. Polls open in France at 6am after an unusual campaign overshadowed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that analysts warn could lead to unpredictable outcomes with turnout a major factor. French overseas territories voted on Saturday to take account of the time difference, starting with the tiny island of Saint Pierre and Miquelon off the coast of Canada and then territories in the Caribbean followed by French Pacific islands. Polls had predict that Macron would lead Le Pen by a handful of percentage points in round one, with the top two…

MORE than half of the 813 doctors, nurses and other health-care workers, including vaccinators, employed in the Western Cape to help respond to the Covid-19 pandemic have had their contracts terminated despite chronic staff shortages across the province. Health and Wellness MEC Nomafrench Mbombo revealed these figures in a written response to a question from provincial ANC health spokesperson Rachel Windvogel about the number of doctors, nurses and other health-care workers who were employed to help respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. “Contracts for 592 staff employed in Covid-19 posts were terminated over the course of the pandemic. “The department, however, re-employed 319 of the 592 in other, non-Covid-19 posts within the department,” Mbombo said. In effect, this meant that 273 contracts were completely terminated. At the same time, 221 staff…

EMERGENCY cases are expected to see an upsurge this Easter weekend, with several departments already ramping up services as a preventive step. Provincial Health and Wellness Department spokesperson Natalie Watlington said the department’s emergency centres witnessed thousands of cases each weekend, with approximately 4 500 to 6 000 of these requiring admission to hospital. “We have seen in the past that over Easter weekends these numbers tend to increase due to trauma cases such as stabbings, gunshots, gender-based violence, and vehicle and pedestrian incidents,” Watlington said. In anticipation of an increase in incidents, the City said it would be implementing its Easter safety plan, an extension of its festive season safety plan. The plan involves a number of City departments assigning resources to designated priority areas, including on the roads,…

MOURNERS gathered with heavy hearts as they laid to rest Zuraya Barden, who was ruthlessly gunned down on Friday morning. The 61-year-old mother and grandmother was shot and fatally wounded in her car at about 7.15am in Kunene Road, Primrose Park, Manenberg. Barden’s 6-year-old grandchild was found in the back seat of the vehicle. Barden’s funeral prayers took place according to Islamic rites at her residence at Surran Road, Newfields, and her burial at the Pooke Road Muslim Cemetery, on Saturday. Undertaker Imam Fasiegh Adams said: “It was sad indeed. She was a woman who had a great sense of humour; a loving mother and daughter, and was well loved by all who crossed her path.” According to several reports, Barden was a witness in a criminal case. The shooting…

ANC MPL Khalid Sayed has called on Department of Local Government, Environmental Affairs, and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell to institute an urgent investigation into the DA’s failure to act against Hanover Park ward councillor Antonio van der Rheede regarding allegations levelled against him by the community. The community submitted 19 grievances against Van der Rheede, which included allegations of misappropriation of funds and manipulation of EPWP contracts; his failure to call a public meeting in the past four years; and hand-picking of the ward committee. Some of these grievances date back four years and were given to mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, the council speaker Felicity Purchase, and DA chief whip Desiree Visagie in meetings that were held with the community between November and February. Van der Rheede on numerous occasions…

THE mayor of Tswelopele Local Municipality in the Free State was released on R2 000 bail at the Hoopstad Magistrate's Court, Free State police said. Spokesperson Captain Stephen Thakeng said mayor Kenalemang Phukuntsi, 51, was arrested on Friday, for theft and crimen injuria. He said it was alleged that on February 2, the mayor visited several shops of foreigners and alleged that they were selling expired groceries. “It is alleged that she took from their shop items, including cosmetics, vegetables, groceries, pampers, petrol cleaners and diesel cleaners. The items taken are estimated to be worth R60 000. “Five cases of theft and crimen injuria were registered and the mayor, councillor Phukuntsi, 51, was arrested on April 8 at Hoopstad and appeared in the Hoopstad Magistrate’s Court, and was granted bail…

the book of magic Alice Hoffman Scribner Review: Beryl Eichenberger I seem to have been immersed in magic recently – in books not in reality but for anyone who loves magical reality, witches and a darn good story then The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman is an absolute must. This conclusion to her Practical Magic series is, as always, a good read, grasping you and drawing you into a world that hovers just beyond our reach. And if you don’t believe in magic and witches – read this with an open mind, perhaps your perception will change. We are of course talking about mostly good magic but there are those practitioners of bad magic who cast their spells to change the course of innocent lives, wickedly adding spice and…

A DEFINING feature of South Africa is the level of inequality in almost all spheres of society. Nowhere is this more observable than in the schooling sector. To its credit, the State implemented a school funding policy in 2006 with the intention of achieving equity. This no-fee school policy ranks public schools according to five groups or quintiles. The poorest schools, those serving the poorest communities, fall into quintile one. The richest schools are in quintile five. Schools in quintiles one to three cannot charge school fees. They receive a larger allocation per learner from the Department of Basic Education budget than the fee-paying schools in quintiles four and five. But it’s clear that the school funding policy hasn’t had the equity effects that were intended. Poor schools have lost…

Candidates for Pakistan’s next prime minister were expected to file nomination papers yesterday after incumbent Imran Khan lost a no-confidence vote in parliament, bringing an end to the former international cricket star’s nearly four years in power. Khan had clung on for almost a week after a united opposition first tried to remove him, managing to put off the no-confidence vote, which he said was part of a foreign-backed plot against him, and dissolving parliament. But the Supreme Court ordered parliament to convene and hold the vote. There was drama right until the midnight deadline ordered by the Supreme Court, with the speaker of the assembly – a Khan loyalist – resigning at the last minute. In the end, the session continued with a replacement. Khan’s government fell in the…

PROVINCIAL police ombudsman Oswald Reddy said he intends to investigate the failure of the police to address and effectively shut down notorious drug dens in the province. Community Policing Forums (CPF) in Cape Town welcomed the investigation. They said their communities were different and therefore crime-fighting strategies should be different. CPF structures are the only recognised consultative forums that can relay residents’ policing concerns or suggestions to their designated policing precincts. Belhar CPF chairperson Godfrey Lang said he was happy to learn of the plans by the ombudsman’s office to investigate where the SAPS was falling short. “In Belhar, we are making good progress in terms of ridding our streets of drug activity. The appointment of our new colonel was exactly what we needed, and we can already see the…

THE South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) said it would be working with law enforcement to ensure counterfeit and other illicit medications are kept off the streets. Sahpra stepped in following reports of hawkers in Cape Town who were illegally selling medicines. Last week Sahpra with the police conducted an investigation and found prescription medicines sold on the streets, resulting in the arrests of two people. A criminal case was opened with charges of contravening the Medicines and Related Substances Act. Sahpra said these medicines should only be sold at pharmacies or authorised health facilities and by appropriate health professionals. Medicines sold illicitly could pose serious health risks as the products may be counterfeit, stolen, contaminated or harmful and could be life-threatening. “Sahpra must ensure that all health…

CORRUPTION is under the microscope and the health-care sector is in focus as Research Professor Evangelos Mantzaris of the Faculty of Management Sciences at MUT co-authored the study with Professor Pregala Pillay of Stellenbosch University on the corrupt involvement of legal practitioners in illegal and fraudulent acts and their role in litigation on medical negligence. The analysis looked at legal demands, mediators, and negligence in Gau- teng’s Department of Health in 2017. Mantzaris said in almost all cases legal action against state institutions have been initiated by members of the legal profession who have taken advantage of circumstances to enrich themselves illegally and immorally. “In most instances, they collaborate directly or indirectly with medical or nursing staff. There have been cases where lawyers or their “representatives” (medical practitioners, nurses) are…

The easing of lockdown restrictions and people returning to the beaches has resulted in more drownings. Lifesaving SA said it had noted an increase in drownings in recent weeks and was concerned about the Easter weekend. General manager Helen Herbert advised people to take precautions and swim only where lifeguards were on duty. “Swim only between the designated red and yellow bathing beacons and flags and always while obeying instructions from lifeguards.” Herbert urged adults to always supervise young children near water, especially swimming pools, in the home, and at bath time, and near uncovered vessels containing water, including buckets and pit latrines. Mayco member for Community Services and Health, Patricia van der Ross, said: “Children under the age of 15 are statistically at greater risk of drowning than…

the prince of the skies Antonio Iturbe Macmillan Review: Beverley Roos-Muller Once there was a princely little boy with golden curls who was hurt by love and travelled our planet looking for answers. Who was this boy? Not only The Little Prince, the iconic child in the novella, but also its creator, French-born Count Antoine de St-Exupery, who grew up in a castle with many doors and little money, and became a legendary aviator in an era when flying was an adventure. Big, burly, larger than life and seemingly without fear, his friends called him St-Ex. The Little Prince became one of the best-selling books of all time, over 200 million copies in more than 300 languages. St-Ex’s passion was flying in a time when the skies were still new…

FOR the next few months, until at least July, ANC members will be frantically holding regional and provincial elective conferences ahead of the party’s leadership contest in December. In December, the party’s branch delegates will decide whether to continue with President Cyril Ramaphosa at the helm or replace him with someone else. But such is the nature of ANC internal politics that the outcome of that contest could likely be known days before voting delegates meet. Those with knowledge of the ANC’s arcane internal elections process will know that the outcome can barely be termed “democratic”. Despite the current leadership’s continued vows to clean up the party’s internal democracy, ultimately the contest will be decided by the ability of the winning side to dole out patronage. That’s one of the…

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Kyiv on Saturday for talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people”, Downing Street said. A spokesperson said they discussed the UK’s long-term support of Ukraine. London did not announce Johnson’s visit ahead of time. His trip followed visits to Kyiv of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, on Friday and the visit of Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer earlier on Saturday. Johnson tweeted that Britain was “setting out a new package of financial and military aid” because of “President Zelensky’s resolute leadership and the invincible heroism and courage of the Ukrainian people”. Speaking at a a press conference with Nehammer, Zelensky said Ukraine was “still ready” to…