Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-01-23 i Cape Argus

AWARD-winning creator, singer, actor and entrepreneur Nadia Jaftha has raised the bar again and intends to inspire many with the launch of her international new age creative agency called Ace Labs in Dubai. The 30-year-old recently announced the new project, which will help grow the content of creatives. Back from Dubai, Jaftha told IOL Entertainment: “I’ve always wanted to use my platform to inspire, make people smile and now, help other creators grow their brand while building sustainable businesses in the process. “When I started out in this industry, there was no formula, template or textbook that could have guided me to where I am today. “I just knew what I wanted and had to make it happen with the little knowledge I had when I started as an influencer.…

AXED National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) board member Peter Becker has won his bid in the Western Cape High Court to have Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe’s decision to dismiss him last February declared illegal. Becker, an anti-nuclear activist and Koeberg Alert Alliance (KAA) spokesperson, was dismissed in February last year, nine months after he was appointed as a public representative on the board. On June 10, 2021, Mantashe appointed Becker as a non-executive director of the NNR Board to represent communities who may be affected by nuclear activities. Becker’s appointment emanated from his nomination to this position by a number of civil society organisations, including the KAA, the Southern African Faith Communities Environmental Institute, and the Pelindaba Working Group. Becker stated that, at the time of his…

FROM Lucinda Riley, talented author of the Seven Sisters series, comes her sole murder mystery. Written in 2006, the manuscript lay unpublished until after Riley’s death in 2021. Her son, Harry Whitaker, decided it ought to be published, and it was, in 2022. Fleat House is part of St Stephen’s boarding establishment in Foltesham, Norfolk. The time is January. The year 2005 and Riley dives straight into 18 years of old school bully-boy Charlie Cavendish’s sudden death. Initially suspected as an epileptic fit, Charlie’s autopsy, insisted on by his father William – a highly placed London lawyer, reveals that an allergic reaction to ingesting aspirin caused him to suffer anaphylactic shock. Not well liked, Charlie’s death comes as a relief to some staff members and fellow pupils. Not so, headmaster…

South Africa’s democracy is a relatively new one. The country is celebrated for its constitution but the democratisation process has been slow. Over the past five years, the government has been criticised for its inability to promote good governance within governmental institutions. There is a pattern of failure to uphold the principles of democracy, such as transparency and accountability, in addition to struggling to deal with social issues, such as poverty, education, crime and inequality. At the root of these problems are the issues of corruption and maladministration, which became worse during the pandemic. Corruption has hindered the ability of the government to fulfil its mandate, which is essential to help address the issues that harmed the quality of life in South Africa. This essay will discuss the nature of…

Damascus: A building collapsed in Syria’s second city of Aleppo yesterday, killing 16 people including one child, state media reported, adding that rescue efforts were ongoing. The five-storey structure in the city’s Sheikh Maksoud neighbourhood collapsed “due to a water leak in the building’s foundations”, state news agency Sana reported. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the 16 victims were all displaced people from the northern district of Afrin. The Sheikh Maksoud neighbourhood is predominantly inhabited by Syrian Kurds. | AFP…

Arsenal restored their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League with Eddie Nketiah scoring twice in a 3-2 defeat of Manchester United, including a 90th-minute winner, in a rip-roaring clash at The Emirates yesterday. It looked as though it would end honours even with United resisting a late Gunners siege but Nketiah tapped in from close range to send the home fans into raptures. A game that fully lived up to expectations saw Marcus Rashford give United the lead with a stunning early opener only for Nketiah to head Arsenal level in a frantic first half. Bukayo Saka’s flashing drive gave Arsenal the lead in the 53rd minute but Lisandro Martinez’s header levelled it up before the hour mark to set up an absorbing finale. Saka struck the…

Dragons (5) 25 Tries: Reed, J Williams, Dyer; Conversions: Reed (2); Penalties: Reed, Hanrahan Lions (27) 30 Tries: Q Horn, Van der Merwe; Conversions: Hendrikse; Penalties: Hendrikse (6) THE Lions ended a four-match losing streak when they hung on to beat the Dragons in a Challenge Cup game in the Welsh valleys yesterday, but boy did they make a meal of it. The win means the Joburgers will host a Round of 16 fixture with Parisian club Racing 92, but they will get a hiding from the club Siya Kolisi is to join if they play with the shocking inconsistency they displayed in yesterday’s match. Pardon the cliche, but what a game of two halves as the Lions totally dominated to lead 30-5 only to then be absent from the…

IDOLS SA season 18 winner Thapelo Molomo had fans puzzled with a recent post of his business venture. Aside from his huge cash prize won on Idols SA and his job as a warrant officer at the SAPS, Molomo added entrepreneur to his CV since he now sells trays of eggs and atchar from the boot of his car. While followers had mixed feelings about his decision to sell eggs, he is not phased by the feedback and has his sights set on expanding his wealth. He captioned his post: “Artchar le Mae guys around Tembisa and Kempton Park and Pta call me will bring for u. #hustle #youthempowerment #CreateYourOwnJob” In the video, Molomo dressed in a white shirt, beige pants and brown cap, is seen delivering eggs from the…

THE parents of two Muslim learners who were prevented from entering their classrooms because they wore trousers under their school uniforms said the matter was peacefully resolved and condemned harmful social media attacks targeting Goodwood Park Primary School and staff. An urgent meeting was called with the parents, school governing body (SGB) and the school’s principal on Friday afternoon. The siblings, aged 9 and 12, were initially prevented from entering their classrooms on Wednesday morning for wearing pants with their school dresses in an effort to conform to Islamic dress. The learners were later allowed to enter their classrooms. The SGB had made concessions for Muslim students including wearing of a headscarf/burqa and stockings. However, the family did not feel that the stockings were adequate and had attempted to raise…

Last week the Department of Basic Education announced the 2022 matric results, with 80.1% of the learners in the public education system achieving a pass result. Congratulations to all those learners who passed the exams. My immediate concern is for those who did not pass this life-determining exam and their friends who dropped out of the system over the 12-year learning journey. About 1 177 089 million children started Grade 1 in 2010. Only about 780 000 sat for the exams in 2022. Where are the other 390 000 children? A business that loses 390 000 clients over every 12-year business cycle should be seriously investigated. Charlene Petersen from The Learning Trust says most of these missing students “have either just dropped out or have been pushed out of the…

Prolific writer Ronald H Balson’s impressive bestsellers are as gripping as they are immaculately researched. Many of them revolve around the legacy of Nazi Germany and World War II. The Girl from Berlin won the National Jewish Book Award and Defending Britta Stein is a legal thriller that is as immersive as it is fascinating, dealing with the aftermath of an era still acutely felt in the lives of a now ageing population of survivors. In his latest, An Affair of Spies, his tale of wartime espionage will have you on the edge of your seat. Protagonist Nathan Silverman is the son of a theoretical physicist. Growing up in the Berlin of the 1920s, a dark and ominous shadow hovers over what was once an idyllic childhood, as bigotry rears…

A few days ago, respected PSL coaches Ernst Middendorp of Swallows and four-time league-winning SuperSport United mentor Gavin Hunt said Mamelodi Sundowns had already won the DStv Premiership title, even though it’s only January. Both coaches had front-row seats to make that call after watching Sundowns defeat their teams. On Saturday evening, their views gained momentum after record-breaking Sundowns defeated Kaizer Chiefs to stretch their Premiership winning sequence to 12 consecutive matches. It was a terrific achievement, and the 12-match sequence includes 10 clean sheets. After 18 Premiership matches this season, Sundowns have only conceded a miserly six goals. Sundowns also set the previous benchmark in the 2006/07 season when they won 11 games on the trot, en route to their fifth Premiership title. Since then, the Brazilians have won…

KINSHASA: Pope Francis’s visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo will remind the world not to ignore decades-long conflicts that have beset the mineral-rich nation and wrecked the lives of millions, the Vatican’s envoy to Kinshasa said. Francis is expected to visit Congo from January 31 to February 3. Major prepararations have been under way in the country, home to the largest Roman Catholic community in Africa. “The Congo which receives the Pope today is not the same as the one which welcomed Pope John Paul II 38 years ago,” Ettore Balestrero, the Vatican’s envoy to Kinshasa, told Reuters. | Reuters…

A confidential audit report, detailing gross financial mismanagement including unaccounted expenditure worth over R500 000 within the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC), has been leaked after the organisation tried to keep it under wraps since June. The report has recommended that the MJC president Sheikh Irfaan Abrahams be investigated for “fitness to hold office” and for the immediate sacking of treasurer Sheikh Fadhil Emandien. The document details findings from a commission of inquiry set up to investigate allegations of financial irregularities for the 2020/21 financial year after the AGM in April last year. Compiled by Sheikh Shahid Esau, Moulana Abdurahmaan Khan, Sheikh Muhammad West and Moulana Khalil Hendricks, the report dated June 11, 2022 has only come to light this weekend. It found the MJC president had authorised expenditure of R320…

A MITCHELLS Plain community is still reeling in shock after a matric student was gunned down hours before he could see his results. While many families are celebrating matric results of their children on Friday, the family of slain Wakeel Dreyer, 18, from Beacon Hill High School who was shot 17 times in Mitchells Plain on Thursday are preparing for a burial. The incident occurred at a local tuck shop in Palestinia Street. Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi, a provincial police spokesperson, confirmed the shooting incident in Eastridge. “Mitchells Plain police members attended a complaint on Thursday, January 19. “On arrival at the address in Palestina Street at around 4.35pm, they found the body of an 18-year-old male who sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his body. “The victim was declared…

Four adults and a baby boy were killed and six others were injured when a driver lost control of his vehicle on his way from Touws River to De Doorns on Saturday at about 10pm. Western Cape Traffic spokesperson Jandre Bakker said: “The silver Opel Corsa with 11 occupants – six adults and five children – was travelling in the direction of De Doorns when the driver lost control of the vehicle.” The scene was attended to by De Doorns police, Provincial Traffic, Worcester Emergency Services and forensics. Emergency spokesperson Ineke van Huyssteen said: “When ER24 paramedics arrived at the scene at about 11pm, they found patients lying across the road and a vehicle off the roadway. “Upon further assessment, paramedics found three people who had sustained fatal injuries…

Author Shevlyn Mottai is descended from indentured Indians from Arcot in South India and I suspect that this was quite a painful novel to write, yet she brings a sense of joy as she winds this story forward. It was her great-great-grandfather, Sappani Mottai, who came out on the Umzinto to Natal in 1909. Travelling from Madras he was accompanied by his one-year-old son and a 20-year-old woman who was not his wife. The family stories that abounded about her great-great-grandmother had stayed with her as a child and into adulthood. Questions of identity arose, as they do with so many immigrants, and the reasons why Indians would come to South Africa to the sugar and tea plantations. This drove Mottai to visit India and dive deep into the back…

THE world is going through a crisis of a dwindling middle class where income gap and wealth disparities reflect a downward spiral in economic and social development. Developed nations have for the last century sustained their economies through a strong middle class serving as a buffer between the super-rich and those on the poverty line. However, as a strong middle-class is threatened by sinking into poverty, these economies are no longer stable. China as a new economic leader with 1.4 billion people has to fight the dwindling middle-class phenomenon. How will China close the huge income gaps and disparities between the rich and poor? “Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the Central Committee has given greater weight to gradually achieving the goal of prosperity for all ……

PRESIDENT Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ousted the head of Brazil’s army at the weekend, moving against the most senior military officer to be held accountable after the January 8 insurrection when right-wing rioters rampaged through the nation’s halls of power. The order to fire General Júlio Cesar de Arruda was delivered by Lula’s defence minister, José Múcio, according to a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to speak candidly. The removal of Arruda came six days after reports that he had sought to protect rioters and supporters of defeated former president Jair Bolsonaro who were sheltering at a camp in front of army headquarters after storming and ransacking the presidential palace, the supreme court and congress. Lula’s administration has already fired or…

MANILA: The death toll from the floods in the Philippines has reached 35. The number of injured stands at 12, the country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said yesterday. A total of 1 780 houses have been damaged in the Philippines amid the floods, 548 of them completely destroyed. Nearly 70 cities have experienced power disruptions. More than 300 roads and 65 bridges have been damaged. More than 350 evacuation centres have been set up, currently housing 14 306 people, according to the disaster management agency. | Sputnik…

A New Zealand Sevens tournament that promised so much for the Blitzboks on the first day ended in tatters when they dropped two close results in Hamilton yesterday to finish in a disappointing seventh place. The South Africans also slid down to fourth place on the overall World Rugby Sevens Series standings for the 2023 season. Argentina won the title by beating New Zealand 14-12 in the final, with the hosts moving to the top of the standings. The top four teams automatically qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris at the end of the season. After their clean sweep in their pool on Saturday, which included a win over Argentina, the two defeats yesterday – 22-17 to France and 21-14 to Ireland – came as a disappointment to…

Kaizer Chiefs’ quest for the championship seems to be over and their focus seems to be qualifying for African football next campaign. After losing back-to-back league games at the start of 2023, Chiefs wanted to get back on track against log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday night. But that wasn’t to be. The runaway champions tightened their grip at the top by beating Chiefs 1-0 thanks to a goal from Neo Maema. Chiefs now trail Downs by 22 points and coach Arthur Zwane singing a different hymn. Instead of believing that Chiefs can close in on the leaders and take the title race down to the wire, Zwane says their focus is qualifying for next season’s continental tournaments. “We really want to go and play in the (CAF) Champions League…

ENGLISH Championship club Burnley are closing in on the signing of Bafana Bafana attacker Lyle Foster, according to reports. The 22-year-old is set to complete a medical at the club which will see him play under former Manchester City captain and Belgian football legend Vincent Kompany, who now manages Burnley. Burnley have been in brilliant form this season and are currently on course to attain promotion to the Premier League next term as they sit on top of the standings with a five-point advantage over second-place Sheffield United. Burnley have won 18 of their 28 games, which has included winning their last eight consecutive league games. Kompany’s team will be looking to score more goals as they look to strengthen their promotion bid, and Foster could help them achieve their…