Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-01-27 i Cape Argus

Cape Town will be showing off its beauty as A-listers flock to the Kenilworth Racecourse for the annual World Sports Betting Cape Town Met tomorrow. As always, fashionistas, party-goers and horse-racing enthusiasts will be gathering and, aside from the annual sporting event, it’s all about the fashion and getting ahead with the theme. This year’s theme is Mardi Gras so you can expect an array of gold, purple, green, glitter, feathers and an entire day of fashion parades. This means that everyone can expect high fashion and frivolous fun, in addition to the very best in horse racing as the field bids for a share of the R2 million purse. The event will showcase not only the best in racing but also phenomenal dining experiences, prizes for the best-dressed and…

Three men accused of orchestrating and executing the hit on criminal lawyer Pete Mihalik appeared in the Western Cape High Court. Sizwe Biyela, Nkosinathi Khumalo and Vuyile Maliti pleaded not guilty in May 2022 and are charged with five counts of murder, attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition for their alleged involvement in Mihalik’s murder. Before Biyela and Khumalo could take the stand to answer to the charges Maliti, through his lawyer, brought an application to be discharged from the counts of murder and acting in common purpose with his co-accused. Judge Constance Nziweni refused the application and said while her ruling was not a pre-judgment, Maliti did indeed have a case to answer. State advocate Greg Wolmarans argued that the picture created by…

In the midst of South Africa’s worst energy crisis in history, trade union Solidarity says ailing state power utility Eskom wants to get rid of another 500 white male employees by 2025, mainly people who are responsible for maintenance work. The union said in a statement yesterday that this was according to Eskom’s latest race plan for 2023 to 2025. In a letter issued by Solidarity’s legal team addressed to the power utility, it said it asked for a moratorium on race-based appointments at Eskom as a measure to help address the power crisis. Solidarity said that it pointed out that there was an urgent need in South Africa for the deployment of best skills in jobs, regardless of race. “There are competent black and white artisans at Eskom and…

“Tell THE public what we are doing to resolve the (energy) problem we are in,” were the words of ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula in his keynote address at the ANC’s energy dialogue on Wednesday at the University of Johannesburg, where a range of stakeholders in the energy sector gathered. Speakers, including the ANC’s national chairperson and Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, as well as academics, unions and experts, discussed “immediate and workable solutions” to the ongoing electricity crisis. The aim of the dialogue was to create a broader platform for an ANC-led process to allow those in the energy field to meet and talk frankly about the energy situation in the country, and ultimately create more public engagements on the matter as pressure…

The City has warned residents that a tree infested with the invasive polyphagous shot hole borer beetle (PSHB) has been discovered on a private property in Newlands. The City was on site to advise the resident about the safe removal of the tree, as prescribed by the City’s protocol, to prevent the spread of this damaging beetle. Deputy mayor and spatial planning and environment Mayco member Eddie Andrews said a PSHB beetle infestation was first discovered in Oldenland Road, Somerset West in an ailing London plane in March 2019. To date, only trees in the Somerset West area have been affected and removed. “We are extremely concerned about this latest sighting in Newlands, as to date we have managed to contain the invasive Asian borer beetle to the Somerset West…

A pROTEST by medical practitioners was thwarted hours before it was scheduled to take place at Tygerberg Hospital, with the Department of Health calling for engagement instead. The SA Medical Association Trade Union (Samatu) in the Western Cape was set to protest, in solidarity with other trade unions marching nationally outside the hospital yesterday, calling on the Health Department to immediately absorb unemployed doctors. Samatu is a professional and democratic trade union for medical practitioners. Cosatu-affiliated trade unions were supportive of the call, including Denosa, Nehawu, and Popcru, with marches held in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Samatu said a decision to postpone the protest was taken, but if the engagements were not successful they would relaunch their campaign. Samatu Western Cape provincial chairperson Dr Zukiswa Sobetwa said a combination of…

With a voice as smooth as silk, Pratibha Singh Baghel had everyone in awe as she shared an unplugged performance at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town, which is the same venue at which the production will be held today. The songstress is in Mzansi to perform her world premier performance show, Symphony of Love. The 32-year-old boasts the ability to effortlessly sing a broad range of genres including hits of the greats such as Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Jagjit Singh, to name a few. Baghel was the recipient of the Lata Mangeshkar Alankaran Award in 2008. IOL Entertainment caught up with Baghel ahead of her show. Overwhelmed to be in Cape Town, Baghel said she adored the love she received since her arrival. “I had so much excitement to…

FORMER Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has made no secret of his passion for golf and his game has received a ringing endorsement from one of the world’s best ahead of his debut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California next month. The 33-year-old Bale ended his glittering football career this month, leading to speculation that the Welshman might try to become a professional golfer. Spaniard Jon Rahm got a close up view of Bale’s golf game when partnering him at the Pro-Am ahead of this week’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines and was clearly impressed. “I told Gareth you can’t be so good at professional football and golf at the same time, that doesn’t seem fair,” Rahm, the 2021 US Open champion said. “You can’t be dedicated…

PAKISTAN captain Babar Azam yesterday bagged the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy after being announced as the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year for 2022. Babar continued to raise the bar for himself in 2022, breaking more personal records while making sure Pakistan’s star shone brightly. Babar blew beyond that milestone while accumulating a huge 2 598 runs at an intimidating average of 54.12. He was the only player to surpass the 2 000-run barrier throughout the calendar year across all formats. His haul of eight centuries and 17 fifties during the calendar year was Babar’s best of his career to date and there’s no doubt the dynamic right-hander is currently at the top of his game. The 50-over format was ruled by the 2021 and 2022 ICC Men’s ODI Player…

Mayor unveils plan to generate power locally Cape Town has made “great progress” with its three-phase procurement for load shedding protection and is on track to be load-shedding free with its plan to tender for 500MW from independent power producers beginning in February. Unveiling the details of the City’s three-phase procurement programme to generate power locally, mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said: “Two major tenders have already closed, and are in assessment phase; the third and biggest one will be issued in a matter of weeks.” Addressing the city council yesterday (Thursday) on the progress of the City’s plan to shield residents from the first four stages of rolling blackouts, Hill-Lewis said the plan was to provide protection from the first four stages of Eskom’s load-shedding within three years. “Tenders are to…

AFTER a recent high court case in which the judge awarded R5.5 million to a woman whose email accounts were hacked by cyber-criminals during the home-buying process, estate agents have warned the public about increasingly sophisticated online property scams. Lew Geffen Sotheby Southern Suburbs and False Bay realtor Arnold Maritz said: “There are a number of audacious hoaxes to be wary of, including those run by syndicates that have people who very convincingly pose as estate agents, sellers and registered attorneys.” Maritz said that in one scam, a syndicate member posed as the owner and the property was transferred and proceeds paid without the seller being aware that their property had been sold. Maritz said electronic communication scams were quite sophisticated and entailed a phishing-type email aimed at intercepting…

While both are world-renowned for their beauty, Cape Town and Paris discovered they have even more in common when it comes to water management challenges and water rehabilitation strategies, particularly regarding wastewater discharge directly into their rivers. This was evident in a bilateral meeting held between the two cities on Tuesday in which the City’s water team was afforded the chance to engage and learn about Paris’ massive rehabilitation mission to clean up the River Seine and ensure it was safe for recreational use before the 2024 Olympic Games. During the meeting, a presentation was made by Anita Ravlic and Paul Kennouche, from the City of Paris sanitation and water service, that elaborated on possible lessons Cape Town could take away from their experience in rehabilitating the Seine River, which…

The CTICC has announced that it has bounced back from the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic stronger than it expected to and is on the road back to profitability as a conference venue. Speaking at the CTICC’s Annual General Meeting, CEO Taubie Motlhabane said the organisation was “mastering the art of resilience” and had improved on its 2021 financial figures, despite the challenges. She said the CTICC hosted 226 events compared with 53 in the previous financial year, and overall delegate and visitor numbers increased to more than 127 000 in 2022 – “a massive improvement”. The company, jointly owned by the City with 71.4% shareholding, the Province which holds 23.2% shares, and SunWest International with 5.4%, came close to doubling its revenue in 2022 compared with the previous…

A Cape Town resident who works in the retail sector is R25 million richer. The person won the Lotto Plus 1 jackpot from the January 21 draw. National Lottery Ithuba said the ticket was purchased at Pick n Pay and the winner walked away with R25 564 050.40. The winner chose his numbers manually and found out through the internet that he was the lucky winner, Ithuba said. The man said he had “always had a feeling” that he would win one of the lottery jackpots someday. The winner, who works in the retail sector, said he would continue working and planned to pay off his debt and buy property. He had no plans to tell anyone that he had won. The first Lotto jackpot winner for…

This article is written to bring the reader on an inner journey to have an enhanced understanding of the deep sense of life’s purpose. Thereby, moving into the core of oneself to contribute and make a significant difference in the external world. In addition to other recent events, the Covid-19 pandemic has altered the perception of the world we live in. It has prompted individuals to re-evaluate their daily priorities and make the required adjustments to the new standard for the 21st century. This writing will equip readers to take the full initiative of their lives and adapt to the new normality. The art of focusing on oneself emerges as the pivot to help facilitate this transformation. Modern science dictates the key to unravel the final success while manifesting their…

MANCHESTER City and Arsenal take a break from an intense Premier League title race this weekend – only to face each other in a heavyweight FA Cup clash at the Etihad tonight. Holders Liverpool will look to avenge their chastening recent defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion, while Harry Kane could become Tottenham Hotspur’s all-time top scorer. Here are some of the expected highlights of the weekend’s fourth round ties. City aim to halt Arsenal’s momentum Unexpectedly trailing in Arsenal’s wake in the Premier League, Manchester City have the chance to slow the leaders’ momentum in their first meeting this season. City are five points behind Arsenal, who have a game in hand, but the champions still have to play the Gunners twice in the league, making their FA Cup…

THE local footballing fraternity must have temporarily forgotten about loadshedding after Lyle Foster lit up the social media streets on Wednesday night. The 22-year-old Bafana Bafana striker joined English Championship outfit Burnley this week for a reported fee of €7-million after leaving KVC Westerlo FC. This was a historic move for both Foster and Burnley and it went viral thanks to a brilliant, animated clip of his unveiling. While that was a masterstroke from Burnley’s media team, Foster still has a long way to go before he can be regarded as one of the best in England. And that’s why even amid the euphoria and hype that he is getting on social media, Foster should keep himself grounded and focused at all times. The local fans have reacted in an…

Brad Binder will begin his fourth year in MotoGP when the season commences in late March, and yesterday Red Bull KTM unveiled the machine they hope will put the South African onto the podium with more consistency. Binder will start his senior year with the manufacturer, and will be joined in his endeavour with a new teammate in Australian Jack Miller. The pair will do so on an upgraded KTM R16, which they have been developing and racing since 2016. The 27-year-old Binder had a somewhat underwhelming 2022. Although consistent throughout the season, he managed to secure only three second-place finishes – at the season-opening Qatar, the late season Japanese GP and the season-ending Valencia GP. He retired just once last year – in Portugal – and finished just two…

Cape Town has made “great progress” with its three-phase procurement for load shedding protection and is on track to be load shedding free with its plan to tender for 500MW from independent power producers beginning in February. Unveiling the details of the City’s three-phase procurement programme to generate power locally, mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said: “Two major tenders have already closed, and are in assessment phase; the third and biggest one will be issued in a matter of weeks.” Addressing the city council yesterday on the progress of the City’s plan to shield residents from the first four stages of rolling blackouts, Hill-Lewis said the plan was to provide protection from the first four stages of Eskom’s load shedding within three years. “Tenders are to be awarded in the coming months,…

The City of Cape Town’s Energy Directorate said that it was aware of a prepaid electricity scam doing the rounds online. Officials warned residents to be vigilant if approached with such an offer. “Residents are only to buy prepaid electricity from an approved list of vendors,” a statement by the City of Cape Town said. “The City is aware that the scammer is claiming to be able to provide residents with electricity prepaid tokens at a substantially discounted rate. “It should be noted that any units bought via this scam will not be accepted by City prepaid electricity meters and, effectively, customers will lose the money paid. “Residents are encouraged to only purchase units from reputable vendors and are reminded that they may find vendors by making use of the…

The arrival in Cape Town of the Russian research ship Akademik Alexandr Karpinskiy, which has made oil and gas maps of the climate-stressed Southern Ocean over the years, caused a number of eco-justice organisations and activists to protest against the ship docking at Cape Town Harbour. The protest was organised by Extinction Rebellion (XR) Cape Town and GreenPeace Cape Town volunteers who were joined by a host of other organisations including the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (Wessa) and its youth, The Green Connection and 350 Africa. Over almost 25 years, the ship has been mapping Antarctica’s warming Southern Ocean for hydrocarbons, the building blocks for oil and gas. In the process, the protesters believe, the ship and others like it have harmed Antarctica’s vulnerable marine ecosystems and…

Former president Jacob Zuma is not expected in court on Monday for the resumption of the arms deal corruption trial, when Pietermaritzburg High Court judge Piet Koen is expected to reveal whether he will continue to preside over the matter. Zuma and his co-accused, French company Thales, face charges related to fraud, corruption and money laundering in connection with the arms deal that took place in the 1990s. Judge Koen postponed the matter in October, saying the issue of his involvement as presiding judge in the trial needed to be addressed in the interests of justice. These issues included whether an application for leave to appeal Zuma filed to the Constitutional Court was properly lodged and had the effect of suspending the operation of Judge Koen’s ruling in which he…

When you buy a multimillion-rand home you expect it to be opulent and luxurious, but this particular home in Camps Bay would also be just the dream for any surfer or beach lover. The 5-bedroom villa, a “piece of paradise”, is situated on the sands of the quiet and relatively unknown Glen Beach – a favourite for surfers and locals. The beach area is home to only 15 bungalows and is nestled between Camps Bay and Clifton, says marketing agent Adrien Epstein of Dogon Group Properties. “Situated in the centre of Glen Beach, on the front row, is this prime-positioned, blissful beach bungalow, (which offers) ultimate summer living; dine al fresco on the terrace overlooking the beach and lapping waves, or cool off and dive into your beautiful swimming pool.…

The South African International Ballet Competition (SAIBC) is set to honour those who contributed to the world of ballet while celebrating its 10-year anniversary in the coming months. The competition, which will take place at the Artscape Opera House from July 23 to 26, will be presented as a hybrid event, offering ballet and dance lovers exciting options. Making an announcement about the two added categories to the event, SAIBC CEO Dirk Badenhorst said: “We are starting the SAIBC recognition awards looking at lifetime achievement awards and ambassadors of ballet in South Africa and beyond. “Development teachers are often forgotten. We see a star somewhere, forgetting about the hours that are put in before we get to witness the young star. “The second category will be the new choreography division…

BORUSSIA Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl on Wednesday said the club wants to hold onto English teen star Jude Bellingham “for a long time”. Bellingham, 19, has already captained Dortmund, and an impressive World Cup in Qatar has several of Europe’s biggest clubs queueing up to secure his services. Speaking with Sky Germany, Kehl said “there have been no inquiries at the moment” for the “irreplaceable” midfielder. “If you saw him last weekend, with the focus and the passion that he has on the pitch (you'd see) that he is irreplaceable for us at the moment.” Kehl said Dortmund hoped to keep Bellingham, but could not promise he will stay. “From a sporting perspective, I would be thrilled if the boy would stay and would stay a long time at…

NOVAK Djokovic has won all nine of his Australian Open semi-finals and is not ready to let Tommy Paul ruin his unblemished record today as he closes in on a 22nd Grand Slam crown. The Serbian, who won his first Grand Slam at Melbourne Park in 2008, struggled physically in the early rounds this year with a hamstring injury. But straight-set thrashings of Alex de Minaur and Andrey Rublev for the loss of just 12 games ominously signalled that the favourite is back to his best for the semi-finals. Should he beat the unseeded American Paul on Rod Laver Arena this morning, he will face either third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or Russian 18th seed Karen Khachanov as a final roadblock to a 10th Australian Open title on Sunday.…