Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-02-27 i Cape Argus

Media personality and best-selling author Khaya Dlanga has said slain rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes had pleaded with him to write his biography, but he turned him down. Taking to his Instagram and Twitter pages recently, Dlanga said AKA was adamant he was the right person to tell his life story in a biography titled In (famous). “I have been debating with myself for over a week now whether to share this or not, even though the Forbes family said we should share stories about Kiernan,” he wrote. Dlanga recounted the moment when he bumped into AKA at the restaurant Sauk, in Cape Town, on February 11, 2022. “He said he had been meaning to talk to me and was glad we ran into each other. He said he wanted to…

As extortionists continue to terrorise the Gugulethu area, a 26-year-old Somali shopkeeper was shot and killed on Friday at NY 132. This was the second incident in a week following yet another killing on Tuesday of another shopkeeper at NY 130, a neighbourhood watch member said. Although not related, the incidents follow traders in the area last week having received letters, purportedly from the extortionists, demanding payment for protection. This letter, which was circulated online, left a lot of traders rattled. This is also not the first time that Somalian shopkeepers found themselves at the receiving end of these extortionist rackets. Last year, two other shopkeepers were gunned down in the area. Gugulethu is currently number six in the top 30 murder police stations list in the province following an…

In the early hours of the morning Linda Herbst penned a brief tribute to her son, Sevaughn Herbst, who died in a motorbike crash days after his father Paul Herbst. Linda shared the tribute on her Facebook page at 3.27am on Saturday. Linda said: “My beloved son Sevaughn passed away this morning in a tragic motorbike accident. We have gone from a family of 4 to 2 in a matter of 4 days. I am numb, in disbelief. We have not even buried Paul yet. “Go easy my baby, you have so much love waiting for you as you cross over. I adore you endlessly, Mommy.” Medi Response, where Paul worked, said it was with a heavy heart that they shared the news of Sevaughn’s death in an accident on…

A former journalist and political editor who planted limpet mines as an active member of Umkhonto we Sizwe, Muhammad Rafiq Rohan, has died. Rohan was one of the last group of political prisoners to be released from Robben Island, and the only journalist imprisoned in 1989. Born in Overport, Durban, Rohan, in his late sixties, was found dead in his Morningside apartment on Saturday. Friend Dr Shuaib Manjra said he met Rohan as members of the Muslim Youth Movement (MYM). Rohan edited the MYM newspaper and was also a graphic artist. Rohan’s notable qualities had been bravery and speaking truth to power, Manjra said. “He was unflinching in his criticism of the ANC, latterly.” In May 1991, Amnesty International spotlighted the 190 prisoners who were on a hunger strike to…

IN 1994 we founded a democracy. In 1996, with the adoption of the Constitution, we became a functioning democracy. At about the same time, we were beginning to enter the stage of becoming a flourishing democracy. In 1999, Patricia de Lille and Andrew Feinstein alerted Parliament to possible corruption with the arms deal, where the R90 billion cost had been subjected to enriching politicians in the process. We began to develop a sick feeling that something was wrong with the functioning of our democracy. A year later, when President Thabo Mbeki began to disagree with the global scientific community on HIV/Aids, a further fracture happened within our socio-political firmament. In 2005 he fired his deputy, Jacob Zuma, based on arms deal corruption allegations, and in 2008 we had Travelgate. Pile…

After former CEO of Eskom Andre de Ruyter spilled the beans it’s startling to learn that a senior politician is involved in the corruption at Eskom at the expense of South Africans. South Africa has money, but widespread looting by the ANC-led government has led us to this crisis. This crisis must stop now. South Africans must exercise their vote and vote the ANC out. There are too many politicians around the feeding trough. Engineers should be running Eskom, not politicians. And ordinary South Africans are getting poorer and poorer. Are we better off with President Cyril Ramaphosa? Certainly not. That is the reality of the crisis at Eskom.…

I am thankful and satisfied there is still hope for Zimbabwe and for a new governance. This should wake up President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his government that he should step down before embarrassment during the 2023 general election. The Citizen Coalition For Change UK & Ireland with other political and human rights organisations, held a demonstration at the Zimbabwean embassy in London on 25 February which had a successful turnout as the citizens were demonstrating on the incarceration of Job Sikhala, the member of parliament, and other political prisoners who are being held for supporting the opposition party. They were backed by Lord Jonny Oates, Susan Kurr formerly of Amnesty International, and the Zimbabwean people’s Chief Ndiweni (MyRightToVote) at this demonstration. This showed that ZanuPF is at war with its…

The Covid-19 pandemic worsened the unemployment crisis in South Africa. In the second quarter of 2021, unemployment rates were the highest ever officially recorded. Many people who lost their only source of stable income fell into poverty as a result. Social grants provide income that help people to survive the short-term economic hardship of unemployment. In the long term, new opportunities must be created to get people back to work. However, the national Treasury’s emphasis on fiscal restraint has led to debates about which of these policies to prioritise. This has been particularly evident in the debate around the extension of a grant introduced during the pandemic, known as the social relief of distress grant. Treasury extended the grant for another year in November 2022, but warned that financing it…

Jordan hosted a meeting between top Israeli and Palestinian officials yesterday aiming to halt surging violence, an official said, as Washington and its Arab allies seek to defuse tensions which are fuelling concern of a wider escalation. The discussions are part of stepped-up Jordanian diplomacy with Washington and Egypt to put the brakes on one of the worst surges in violence in years, with concern building of further escalation as the holy Muslim month of Ramadaan approaches. The meeting at the Red Sea port of Aqaba brought together top Israeli and Palestinian security chiefs for the first time in many years, officials said, aiming to restore calm in Israel, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. US President Joe Biden’s Middle East adviser Brett McGurk is attending, along with…

DAR ES SALAAM: Tanzania’s Mara regional authorities say plans are under way to construct a 33km fence to control wild animals from raiding five villages in the Serengeti district. Suleiman Mzee, the Mara regional commissioner, said the fence will protect villages from frequent raids by wild animals, chiefly elephants, from the Serengeti National Park, world-renowned for its abundance of animals and the great wildebeest migration, and other game reserves. Construction of the fence will be done by a private conservation organisation in collaboration with the regional authorities, Mzee said. It follows the success of a 30km fence that protects some villages. | Xinhua…

WALES coach Warren Gatland refused to blame his team’s chaotic week for Saturday’s 20-10 Six Nations defeat by England in Cardiff as his side again failed to turn sustained possession into scoring opportunities. Gatland’s preparation for the game was derailed by a potential strike by players over their dispute with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) that meant he had to cancel training sessions and delay naming his team. They struggled to get a toehold in Saturday’s match, and though they were within five points after 75 minutes until Ollie Lawrence’s try secured the win for England, they were always chasing the game. “The week was challenging but we’re not making any excuses,” Gatland said. “I think we can be critical of ourselves in terms of creating a lot of problems…

CLOSE to two years ago the country watched as legendary news reader Dr Noxolo Grootboom bowed out gracefully after 37 years on the small screen. Now, viewers will be pleasantly surprised as the veteran journalist comes out of retirement, temporarily, to take up a position on Newzroom Afrika where she will anchor the first ever IsiZulu and IsiXhosa Nguni-language news broadcast on Mzansi Wethu (DStv channel 163). Grootboom will step in for six weeks from Monday for Lisakhanya Pepe, who will be going on maternity leave. “Being part of this wonderful project is an honour for me. My retirement is not of the ordinary kind, because it means me coming to plough back into this new era of news,” she said. “Seeing these young people being so enthusiastic and embracing…

THE tourism portfolio committee has recommended to the National Assembly that the near R1bn South African Tourism-Tottenham Hotspur proposal be put on hold, the four new board members be fired immediately and their appointments investigated. The committee also suggested that the R900m be re-routed to build on dilapidated tourism infrastructure. This is according to a tourism committee report attached to Parliament’s announcements, tablings and committee (ATC) reports, dated February 23. The tourism committee MPs’ report said they learnt through media reports of SA Tourism’s intention of sponsoring the UK-based soccer club Tottenham Hotspur FC in a deal reported to be worth R1bn over three years. Former Eastern Cape director- general and ANC stalwart Thozamile Botha, along with three others, were appointed earlier this month after the resignations of Enver Duminy,…

WHEN, 46 years ago, a beautiful but damaged Japanese porcelain vase caught Stephen Petersen’s eye while on a visit to his then girlfriend’s parents’ home, he had no idea the story of its provenance would launch him into a story spanning lives on three continents. The imposing yet delicate vase – which his future parents-in-law had stored in a corner of their Sandvlei home – today occupies pride of place in the centre of Petersen’s lounge in his house in Kuils River, and it’s a conversation piece like no other. Now a widower, retired toolmaker Petersen, 64, and his late wife Belinda’s uncle, Carl Willters, have spent many years digging into the story of the vase, which Belinda’s maternal great, great grandfather Paul Andries Braaf found while walking on the…

Every year, we as educators stand at this crossroad. What do you do if an athlete performs well and doesn’t have the necessary funds to progress? The more an athlete excels the costlier it becomes. If he or she comes from a school in Hanover Park or some township, what can they do? In the many years of being involved in school sports, it breaks your heart if an excellent athlete is turned away. The disappointment is tangible and you as an educator find yourself digging deep into your pockets to help. But it is not enough. Confronting parents about the money issue for their excellent athlete child is a big problem. First thing they ask is “can’t the school help?” The school is in a community where drugs, gangsterism…

I do not believe that our government has the guts to enter into a fight with the trade union movement just before a national election. The government relies entirely on the unions to run the electioneering for the ANC. Cosatu is in the tripartite alliance with the ANC and the ANC has already polled below 50%. Imagine the extensional threat that they are experiencing. Not only will they lose the union vote but they will also use the expertise and organisation of Cosatu when trying to campaign for the election. The ANC would rather bankrupt South Africa than face the obvious fallout before an election. Even with the ANC pandering to the whims of the trade union movement, I believe that the rank and file workers in South Africa have…

The new national minimum wage for domestic workers is to be implemented from March 1. The minimum wage will increase to R25.42 an hour, for each ordinary hour worked. The increases was announced in the Government Gazette 45882, dated February 21, 2023. An employer must be aware that it is a criminal offence to pay less than the national minimum wage. An employer is not permitted to engage in a negotiation with their employee/s whereby they agree to a daily wage that is less than the national minimum wage. The Basic Conditions of Employment Act ensures that no employee can receive less than what is prescribed in the act. The national minimum wage is only applicable to payment of ordinary hours of work and does not apply to allowances for…

THE sport of cricket in South Africa has regained positivity and support from the fans once again after a successful inaugural SA20 campaign and the success of hosting both the Under 19 Women and senior Women’s T20 World Cups. Cricket in South Africa has been on a free-fall since the Proteas’ early exit from the 2019 World Cup in the United Kingdom. As a result, a dark cloud of controversy hung over the sport for what felt like a decade. The Social Justice and Nation Building hearings, for the most part of 2020, really drove the governing body Cricket South Africa to take initiative in reviving the love and passion for the sport in the country. The International Cricket Council and CSA successfully hosted the first ever Under 19 Women’s…

HONG KONG: Hong Kong police said yesterday they had charged three people in connection with the murder of 28-year-old model Abby Choi, whose legs were found in a refrigerator in a house on the city’s outskirts along with tools used for dismembering bodies. Police found portions of Choi’s body on Friday but have yet to locate her head, torso and hands. They also found a meat slicer and an electric saw at the scene in the financial hub’s rural Tai Po district, according to a police statement. The gruesome murder of local influencer Choi, has gripped local tabloids as authorities search for the remaining parts of her body. | Reuters…

LIVERPOOL manager Jurgen Klopp said there is no Hollywood ending in sight to his side’s struggles after a goalless draw at struggling Crystal Palace at the weekend. The Reds travelled to Selhurst Park low on confidence after a 5-2 humiliation at home to Real Madrid in the Uefa Champions League in midweek. A point edged Liverpool up to seventh place in the Premier League, but they are still well adrift in the race to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Klopp’s men came close to an unprecedented quadruple of trophies last year, but have looked a shadow of that side this season. “This will not be the season of history,” Klopp told reporters. “There will not be movies about it, but we have to go through it anyway.” Palace are…

BISHOPS ended the Independent Schools Cricket Festival in Pretoria on a high note with an 11-run win over St David’s. Batting first, the Cape side were given a solid start by Kashief Joseph (39) and Adnaan Lagadien (38), who posted a opening partnership 80. But with both being dismissed without addition to the the score, the innings lost momentum. Bishops were unable to string together any meaningful partnerships with only Andrew Dallas (23) making a useful contribution. The innings eventually closed at 203/8 after 50 overs. In reply, Saints lost both openers with the score on 12 as quick bowlers Matthew Brodziak (5/38) and Abdullah Adams (2/32) struck early. Brodziak continued his rich vein of form by collecting his second fiver in successive weeks. Together with Adams, Bishops restricted the…

Police Minister Cele admits to ‘costly losses’ AS THE City continues to poach highly-skilled officers from the SAPS, Police Minister Bheki Cele has admitted to grappling with a “very costly” mass exodus of 1 303 servicemen and women since last April. Reasons for their exits include police officers opting to be housewives, the poor remuneration in the service, a toxic work environment, business start-ups and emigration. Cele revealed the exodus in a parliamentary response to IFP MP Zandile Majozi on February 17, which coincided with the minister’s release of crime statistics that painted a picture of unyielding crime. The exit statistics covered the period from April 1 last year to January 31 this year. Cele said 413 officers left the police for better remuneration; 361 for personal reasons; 133…

The Sesame Bridge between Lentegeur and New Woodlands in Mitchells Plain has been the latest City project to face extortionists’ demands. According to ward councillor Elton Jansen, unknown men visited the construction site last week and threatened the contractor, saying operations at the site should be stopped. The pedestrian bridge in the vicinity of Watergate Estate, Lentegeur, will provide a safe railway crossing for pedestrians, as well as access to the new MyCiTi station that will be located in AZ Berman Drive. The bridge will run over the railway line between New Woodlands and Lentegeur, and smooth access for those with wheelchairs, bicycles and prams. Construction at the site started in October last year. The extortion claims at the construction site are surfacing while the City is looking for information…

THE dire need for accessible, comprehensive primary health-care services in rural communities of the Western Cape was one of the prominent concerns raised with the Department of Health and Wellness by members of the standing committee on health in a recent briefing. On Friday, the committee was briefed by the department on home community-based care services in the province. The department said it was in the process of finalising outcomes on non-profit organisations (NPOs) to be partnered with the department to provide community-based health services through community health workers. An external call for proposals from NPOs was put out in December 2022, for 2023/2024. A call for proposals is sent annually for NPOs to deliver home- and community- based care services. NPOs compliant with relevant legislation were invited to submit…

This is an open letter to the owners, skippers, crews, Marine Coastal Management, Maritime Safety Authority SA and Marine Law Enforcement regarding the vital issue of safety and safety enforcement of fishing vessels – and that includes yachts, canoes and paddle skis, etc. Every sea-going vessel, whether for recreational or other boating activities, must comply with strict safety laws and rules which aim to ensure the safety of the crews and prevent the loss or damage of fishing recreational vessels. To mention a few, the most important must be the sea-worthiness of the vessel, the compulsory wearing of life jackets the compulsory working flare guns, and equipment, torches, ropes, maybe an extra two or more lifebuoys or two pumped up car tubes. What is vital is that the…

Former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter’s disclosure on eNCA of the criminal extent of corruption operating within Eskom confirms that under the ANC, South Africa has not only become a failed state but also a Mafia state. De Ruyter made reference to four highly organised, sophisticated crime cartels that control the coal supply to power stations. He noted that they have well-armed hit squads, eliminate opposition at will and operate as a Mafia. He observed that crime and corruption are hierarchical and deeply entrenched. Deliberate, ongoing sabotage of equipment ensures that those with maintenance contracts are kept busy and fraudulently rewarded exorbitant sums for their labours. De Ruyter also pointed out an unnamed big wheel politician had shamelessly claimed Eskom was a feeding trough “for some people to eat a…

South African teens are struggling in the mire of intergenerational inequality – and we’re not doing enough to help them out of it, especially when it comes to supporting their school education journey. That’s one of the clear messages from the recently released Inclusive Society Institute (ISI) report called “Understanding Youth Inequality”. The report, researched and written by Percept, offers a close, and sometimes uncomfortable, look at youth inequality in this country, recognising that development is a cumulative process. Any meaningful shift in inequality demands that we unlock the social and economic mobility of youth. A quality high school education is key to that mobility. Access to basic education has improved dramatically in South Africa. By the early 1990s, the country had near-universal enrolment rates at primary school level.…

LAGOS: Nigerians gathered to vote yesterday in a few parts of the country where technical and other glitches prevented a national election from taking place the previous day, even as vote-counting was under way in other places. Voters were seen arriving at polling stations in Yenagoa city at 10am local time so electoral commission officials could complete Saturday’s presidential and parliamentary election. “The whole process was an absolute mess,” said Preye Iti, 60, a civil servant. “I waited from 8.30am to 6.30pm yesterday. Now I’m back at 8.30am again.” Voting was also expected to continue in some parts of northeastern Borno state, where voting machines failed to work. The commission said late on Saturday that elections would continue in several wards in Yenagoa, which lies in Nigeria’s oil-producing south, and…

WASHINGTON: Multiple US newspapers have said they will stop publishing the popular Dilbert comic strip after its creator posted a video calling black people a “hate group”. Scott Adams, who rose to fame in the 1990s with his satirical take on white-collar office life, has increasingly stoked controversy with his views on social issues. But a video posted on Wednesday – in which Adams referred to black people as a “hate group” – proved to be the last straw for many Dilbert publishers. “That’s a hate group and I don’t want anything to do with them,” he said. | AFP…

TOTTENHAM Hotspur heaped more pressure on under-fire Chelsea manager Graham Potter as goals from Oliver Skipp and Harry Kane earned Spurs a 2-0 Premier League win yesterday. Victory consolidates Tottenham’s place in the Premier League top four as they opened up a four-point lead over fifth-placed Newcastle United, although the Magpies have two games in hand. Chelsea remain 10th with their chances of Champions League football next season now seemingly dependent on an unlikely run to win the European Cup for a third time. Despite splashing over £500million on new players this season, Potter’s team have now won just twice in 15 games in all competitions. The former Brighton & Hove Albion boss spoke last week of the mental toll that run has taken as he has had to deal…