Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-03-16 i Cape Argus

Tributes are pouring in for award-winning vocalist and instrumentalist Gloria Bosman, 50, who died after a short illness. The family said Bosman died at home, surrounded by loved ones, on March 14. “It is with profound sadness that we share that in the early hours of this morning, we lost the rock of our family; a beloved mother, grandmother, and sister, Gloria Bosman, who came to fame for her soulful and soothing voice,” read the family statement. Saddened and shocked by Bosman’s sudden death, music lovers, fans and musicians took to various social media platforms to share their messages of condolences to the family while also paying their respects to the music icon. Actor Sello Maake kaNcube wrote: “We are allowed to allow words to fail us at times! What…

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) announced at the start of the week that admissions for the 2024 academic year have opened. Since the start of the week, the department has received a whopping 32 592 online applications for 2024. The online application process, which opened on Monday, will remain available until midnight on April 14. “With parents applying for more than one school for their children, the total number of individual applications to schools received in the first three days of the applications window is 100 980,” Education MEC David Maynier said. “Our admissions website is a free service that is zero-rated, so you do not need data to access it. We’ve also arranged 114 pop-up admission sites at shopping malls, schools and other facilities, in all eight education…

Eskom, SAA, SA Post Office and other struggling state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have guzzled more than R331 billion in bailouts since 2013, MPs heard. Treasury officials appeared before the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa), where they painted a worrying picture about the bailouts granted so that SOEs could implement turnaround plans, to repay debt and government guarantees, improve liquidity and for capital expenditure. “Government has granted R331.2bn in recapitalisations over the period 2013/14 to 2022/23, of which Eskom accounts for 55% of the total recapitalisations,” a report to MPs said. The report pegged the total recapitalisation amount for SAA – from 2007 until the airline was placed into business rescue in December 2019 – at R22.8bn. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana also said there was an extra allocation of R1bn for…

Harry’s book Spare has not had the desired result he and his wife were wishing for. Instead of evoking sympathy, it has turned the British and American public against them. In a Newsweek approval rating, Harry has dropped to -10 (dropping 48 points) and Meghan -17 (dropping 40 points). This has been exacerbated by the animated cartoon series South Park in which they were clearly lampooned and mocked. In his latest, self-pitying interview with Dr Gabor Mate, a physician, Harry claims that using psychedelic drugs and cannabis helped him deal with his mental health problems. He stated: “Hey, it really helped me.” These drugs actually lead to psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, anxiety, depression and other severe mental illnesses. He is therefore advocating illegal drug use for other people, especially…

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday urged Ethiopia to “deepen the peace” in its war-torn north, as he announced a $331-million (about R6 billion) aid package to the country during a visit aimed at repairing relations shaken by the two-year conflict. The top US diplomat was paying his first visit to the long-standing ally since the end of the war in Tigray, which claimed 500 000 lives according to US estimates, and led Washington to sever trade preferences with Africa’s second most populous nation. As China and Russia increasingly seek influence in Ethiopia and around the continent, Blinken opened his visit by voicing hope for better relations as he sipped Ethiopia’s celebrated coffee at the foreign ministry. “It’s a very important moment, a moment of hope, given the peace…

MIKEL Arteta insists Arsenal will not down tools in the Europa League to help their bid to win a first Premier League title for 19 years. Arteta’s Premier League leaders are five points clear of second-placed Manchester City with 11 games left in the campaign. Bowing out of the Europa League could aid the Gunners’ hopes of holding onto the lead in the title race as it would allow more recovery and preparation time. But Arteta does not share that view because the Arsenal boss is trying to restore a winning culture to a club mired in mediocrity for much of the past two decades. Arsenal host Sporting Lisbon in the second leg of their Europa League last 16 clash tonight with the tie delicately balanced after a 2-2 draw…

JEAN-Luc Jean-Luc du Plessis is back in Cape Town to chase and fulfil a boyhood dream: To emulate his dad and uncles and win a Currie Cup trophy with Western Province. After leaving the Cape for a couple of seasons to play in Japan, the 28-year-old recently found his way back home and into the Province team that started the domestic competition with a bang by beating the Lions at Ellis Park at the weekend. The experienced Du Plessis played a pivotal role at inside centre, and on Friday against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld he aims to do the same. His dad Carel, more affectionately known as the ‘Prince of Wings’ in the Cape, and uncles Michael and Willie were all part of a successful WP team back in…

The untimely death of dancer and amapiano star Costa Titch has sent shock waves across the world. In a video clip which circulated on social media, the Mpumalanga-born star was seen stumbling and falling off the stage during his performance at the Ultra Music Festival at the Expo Centre in Johannesburg on Saturday night. Titch later died in a hospital, leaving many unanswered questions and speculation surrounding the cause of his death. Taking to his Instagram on Sunday, Kiddwaya sent a strong message to talent management teams, urging them to prioritise artists’ mental health and well-being. “I just saw this terrible video of Costa Titch slumping and dying on stage. It is so sad because the guy was so talented and extremely young,” he said. “This is the message to…

Drakenstein Municipality urged any business, organisation or institution in the area to lay complaints to SAPS against the EFF following information that there is a possibility of violence and looting that might take place during the national shutdown organised by the party on March 20. Social media has been buzzing since the EFF made a public announcement about the march, especially over an apparent warning to business owners advising them not to operate on the day due to possible looting. Government entities have been taking action to prevent possible acts of violence. Drakenstein Municipality has urged those who might be affected to lay complaints of intimidation. Mayor Conrad Poole said: “The safety of our people and business community is of utmost importance to us. Any form of violence, looting, damage…

The SunCash initiative, brainchild of Cape Town-based blockchain start-up Momint, is working with non-profit organisation Philisa Abafazi Bethu (PAB) to keep gender-based violence survivors safe during load shedding by securing full solar installations at safehouses in the Western Cape, through crowdfunding. PAB founder and director Lucinda Evans said: “Every time the power cuts, it’s a traumatic, fearful experience. Many of the women and children here have escaped violent, dangerous situations, and have restraining orders against their attackers. “A safehouse cannot protect survivors of GBV when our electric fencing doesn’t work. We should also never find ourselves in a situation where our camera feed is down – we cannot afford that degree of vulnerability.” SunCash, a solar power blockchain investment initiative, has agreed to sponsor the initial cost of fully…

Police Minister Bheki Cele met with the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJoints) to discuss the EFF’s planned national shutdown on Monday, police committee chairperson Tina Joemat-Pettersson told MPs. Though Joemat-Pettersson said this in the committee meeting, Cele’s spokesperson Lirandzu Themba said Cele had been locked in a Cabinet meeting since 8.30am yesterday. However, she added that it was safe to say there would be a “briefing” today in relation to the matter from NatJoints and the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster. Deputy Minister Cassel Mathale also told the committee meeting that national commissioner Fannie Masemola had left the virtual meeting – which discussed a planned new crime-fighting policy and, to a lesser degree, the national shutdown – to attend discussions about the shutdown. The NatJoints, which…

I have always found it amazing to read the biographies of people from around the world and how they have influenced the lives of others. Recently, a stalwart in the Struggle, Elma Carolissen, passed away at the age of 95. I met her when I taught at South Peninsula High (SP) before I left the school in 2016. She came to visit the school in 2010, and I got to know her as one of the fiercest opponents of apartheid and capitalism. Although in her eighties already, she had the gift of connecting with young people and getting them involved in understanding the connection between politics and education. The students of SP were fortunate to come into contact with her. She is a South African who made a huge contribution…

At the young age of 28, Constantinos “Costa Titch” Tsobanoglou has robbed us of his talent after collapsing on stage earlier this week. The amapiano artist and rapper has left a void in the music industry for all music lovers. It is alleged that the young performer suffered from seizures from a very young age, and stage lights were the cause of his death. Before his untimely demise, the Big Flexa hitmaker was a breakthrough superstar in a traditionally black music genre. After almost 30 years in the democratic dispensation, Titch still surprises many South Africans of all races with his choice in music. It is as though there is still a sense in the country that sees one race as fit for something while another is fit for something…

THE major discussion points had already been settled before delegates gathered for the 73rd Fifa Congress in the Rwandan capital of Kigali today, including the format for the 2026 World Cup and Gianni Infantino’s next term as president. Incumbent Infantino will stand unopposed, making his re-election a formality, even if he is not universally popular among member associations for a range of reasons, including pushing for a failed plan to play the World Cup every two years. Instead there will be an expanded finals that will feature 48 teams at the 2026 event co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, with a format that will see 104 matches played, up from 64, to bolster Fifa’s already burgeoning revenues. It will mean more funding for poorer member associations, who will each…

HE may be hanging up his playing boots in June, but Morne Steyn’s kicking boots are going nowhere. In fact, they are likely to remain at Loftus Versfeld, as the veteran flyhalf says he is in talks with the Bulls to become a kicking coach. The 38-year-old former Springbok pivot announced this week that while he is busy establishing his own MS10 kicking academy, he is hoping to remain involved in the game at the highest level once he retires at the end of the season. And his work will entail much more than just taking shots at goal. “I am in talks to remain involved at the Bulls, specifically as a kicking coach. I’ve often seen with teams that when it gets difficult in matches, you can always see…

Deadlock broken but no wage deal reached THE Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) has announced that the strike in the public sector has ended after reaching an agreement with the unions. The National Education, Health and Allied Workers Unions (Nehawu) had been on strike since last Monday, leading to massive disruption of services in hospitals and other government departments in the country. President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister Joe Phaahla had condemned the conduct of members of the unions who were causing disruption in hospitals. The government had also gone to court to seek an interdict against the striking employees. Neither the government nor the unions disclosed the terms of the settlement, which are still being hammered out. The unions had demanded a 10% wage increase. Government had offered…

JUST short of a week after Bonteheuwel residents marched against the attack of law enforcement officers in the area, a group of residents attacked the City’s electricity officials who were restoring power to the neighbourhood. The officials were repairing damaged cables in the B Block area that had power outages for 48 hours when they were stoned by a group of residents. The area has also been grappling with electricity infrastructure vandalism and theft for some time, on top of the load shedding. Law enforcement officers were also attacked in the past two weeks by a group of residents that were defending a man who was arrested for a shooting incident. The man fled while he was handcuffed. Ward councillor Angus McKenzie said there was a connection between the people…

It’S still early in the month but the latest unaudited fuel data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) revealed both good and bad news for motorists with a possible increase of 25 cents to petrol prices, a 20 cents decrease to the wholesale price of diesel, and a 68 cents decrease to the price of illuminating paraffin. The Automobile Association (AA) said: “The weaker rand to US dollar exchange rate is contributing to the increases in petrol and clawing back some of the decreases to diesel and illuminating paraffin, with lower international oil prices having the reverse impact. However, in the case of diesel and illuminating paraffin, the weaker rand is not resulting in increases,” the AA said. The AA said the CEF’s unaudited data needed to be observed with…

A WELL-known 59-year-old businessman from Phalaborwa, in Limpopo, was murdered in what is believed to a game after being randomly chosen by a gang. Hannes van Dyk was assaulted on Saturday, March 11 at the Royal Bliss Bar. According to Maroela Media, an arrest has since been made. Speaking to that publication, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said the incident took place between 1am and 2am. When police arrived, they found Van Dyk bleeding on the ground. Eugene Mulder, 19, has since been arrested for the murder and has appeared in court. The case has seen police unveil a deadly game in which older men are randomly targeted and assaulted for no apparent reason. According to News24, the name of the game is “drop a toppie” (drop an older man). The gang…

THE Democratic Alliance yesterday announced candidates to contest leadership positions at its elective federal congress taking place in 16 days. DA presiding officers Greg Krumbock and Bridget Masango announced the candidates nominated to contest positions at the party’s elective federal congress on April 1 and 2. Nominations closed on Monday after opening on February 6. Krumbock and Masango said preparations for the elective congress were going ahead full steam. According to the DA constitution, delegates would elect the leader, federal chairperson and three deputy federal chairpersons, while federal council members would vote for the council’s chairperson and three deputy chairpersons and the federal finance chairperson. Krumbock and Masango announced Dion George and Lungile Phenyane as nominees for the federal finance chairperson. The positions of deputy chairpersons of federal council will…

The trade union movement has had an illustrious history peppered with some unfortunate incidents often tinged with politics and bloodshed. In South Africa it can safely be said that the trade unions, and in particular the umbrella body Cosatu, were instrumental in effectively striking a blow to the apartheid government. Under the leadership of the then-leader Willie Madisha the unions were strong and unified with their base membership. In those early years I was a student at Rhodes University and very much in awe of the strategy followed by the trade unions at the time. I studied political science and often used their statements and known strategy as examples in my writings as to how a revolution can be successfully conducted. The trade unions tried their utmost to be responsive…