Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-03-31 i Cape Argus

This week, three years ago, South Africa went into a hard lockdown due to Covid-19. Events and public gatherings ground to a halt. This impacted many industries, including the entertainment sector. Aside from the financial setback for artists who were unable to earn an income, many lives were lost. Some artists made the pivot to online to keep on doing what they love while, where possible, sustaining themselves through a dark patch. Thankfully, things are looking much better, even though we haven’t fully escaped the Covid-19 virus. But events have resumed and the entertainment industry is booming again. If you’re in Joburg this weekend, get yourself to Word War Hip Hop, an immersive and engaging event of rap battles, cyphers and performances. It takes place at Vinylifestyle Lounge in Marshalltown…

LAWMAKERS in the health committee in the National Assembly agreed to a compromise to postpone making final amendments to the contentious National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill yesterday. The NHI Bill process, which started in 2019, is aimed at providing universal access to quality health care for every South African as promised in the Constitution. Last week the DA, which opposes the NHI Bill, walked out of a health committee meeting in objection to what it called the ANC’s “blatant attempt” to ram the bill through Parliament. The EFF also rejects the NHI Bill in its current form. The DA is on record as saying the NHI would be used by the ANC as a vehicle to commit corruption. Yesterday’s sitting kicked off with disagreements regarding a legal opinion sought by…

SUSPENDED Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fifth day of testimony to the parliamentary committee investigating her fitness to hold office yesterday concentrated on the questions of the so-called Sars rogue unit. Senior counsel Dali Mpofu led Mkhwebane in evidence about her investigation into the Sars investigative unit and once again made a call for Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, who was then at Sars, to be called to give evidence to the committee. Mkhwebane said the first part of her Sars investigation was driven by the fact that Gordhan had been accused of misleading Parliament about whether he had met a member of the Gupta family. On Wednesday, when he first broached the matter with Mkhwebane, Mpofu said the Sars unit report was probably the most litigated and contested report during…

A much-anticipated dredging project is due to begin on Saturday at the overstimulated Lower Silvermine Wetlands (LSW), between Clovelly and Fish Hoek, which has become heavily infested with reeds and suffers from frequent flooding, biodiversity loss, and even safety issues. Run-off from a golf course upstream, minor sewage spills, and natural siltation have resulted in a massive influx of nutrients into the water of the wetland which has exacerbated siltation and encouraged reed growth. This has closed-off open water ponds and channels within the LSW, which is managed by the City. Alex Lansdowne, deputy chairperson of the mayoral advisory committee on water quality in wetlands and waterways, said: “The dredging of LSW will have immense benefits for biodiversity. The endangered western leopard toad occurs here and the opening of the…

A hearing disability did not deter Elana Solomon from achieving her goals. Solomon, who recently graduated with a Master’s degree in human rehabilitation studies from Stellenbosch University, plans to empower and enrich the lives of children with hearing disabilities. Her thesis looked at the challenges faced by teachers in the implementation of vocational programmes in special needs schools for pupils with severe intellectual disabilities. Solomon is employed at the Western Cape Education Department as a school-based occupational therapist, She wants to use her research to contribute to policy revisions and the development of key actions needed for the strengthening of rehabilitation and disability-related programmes. “My hope i s to improve the rehabilitation programmes within the South African education system so learners with disabilities, teachers and the schools as a whole…

THE last time the Bulls had a play-off in Europe, they were given very little chance of winning. Coach Jake White and his team headed to Dublin on a hope and a prayer of beating Leinster, who were also still smarting from losing the Champions Cup final 24-21 to La Rochelle in Marseille two weeks earlier. That result came after the Irish giants had dispatched Toulouse 40-17 in the semi-finals, so they would’ve expected to win the title. So, coach Leo Cullen and his team had the added motivation of pushing for the United Rugby Championship (URC) silverware, but they were out-gunned by a passionate Bulls outfit on a memorable Friday night at the RDS Arena and clinched a 27-26 triumph. White’s squad face a similar scenario heading into Sunday’s…

WITH 162 days to go until the start of the Rugby World Cup in France, Springbok captain Siya Kolisi feels his team are better placed than they were when they won the Webb Ellis Cup in 2019. The Boks went into that World Cup with just one season of rugby together after Rassie Erasmus took over as Springbok coach from Allister Coetzee at the beginning of 2018. That ambulance job could not have been more successful and although Kolisi’s team subsequently missed two years of rugby due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they are a more experienced unit now than in 2019. “I think we are in a better place,” Kolisi reflected at a press conference ahead of the Sharks’ Heineken Cup match tomorrow against Munster. “Our coaching staff is always…

During an update on the escape of Thabo Bester from the Mangaung Correctional Centre, the national commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services, Makgothi Thobakgale, said a new manager had been appointed at the facility. Thobakgale said after consulting Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola, he had decided to invoke Section 112 of the Correctional Services Act. “The findings of the report point to the fact that the director of Mangaung Correctional Centre has lost effective control of the facility, among other factors, and the Correctional Services Act does provide for a mechanism to restore safety and security by taking control of the correctional centre by means of appointing a temporary manager,” Thobakgale said. The temporary manager, Patrick Ali Mashabathakga, will perform the function of the director…

The appeal case by three banks disputing a ground-breaking decision handed down by the Competition Tribunal in September last year, which prevented them from closing the Sekunjalo Group's bank accounts, got under way at the Competition Appeal Court yesterday. The three banks – Mercantile Bank, Access Bank and Standard Bank – have challenged, among other things, the Tribunal’s view that there was sufficient prima facie evidence to warrant its decision to grant interim protection to Sekunjalo. This protection was granted based on Sekunjalo’s case and argument that cited the banks had been acting in concert and anti-competitive behaviour. Several banks had closed the accounts of entities in the Sekunjalo stable, citing fear of reputational damage, based on the negative media articles about the Mpati Commission of Inquiry’s report on impropriety…

As part of celebrating 100 years of Langa’s existence, a march was led to recreate a march that helped to shape the community. The commemoration was held in memory of the late Philip Kgosana, who led a march on March 30, 1960 in defiance of the pass laws. PAC members, together with community leaders, began a march from the Robert Sobukwe house to the well-known circle in the area next to the taxi rank. The group reflected on the livelihoods of Africans and focused on the contributions made by leaders of what most people know as the first township in the Western Cape. Langa Centennial Planning Committee (LCPC) co-ordinator for religion and spirituality, Mnikelo Micheal Bele, said Langa community members took it upon themselves to create LCPC, dividing it…

This year, women made up a considerable portion of the recipients of honorary doctorates from some of the most prestigious universities in South Africa, the continent and globally. One recipient was 90-year-old Queen “Ouma” Xuu Katrina Esau, considered a walking national treasure as the last speaker and fervent preserver of the indigenous Nluu language. Esau received an honorary doctorate from the University of Cape Town (UCT) during its Faculty of Humanities graduation ceremony on Wednesday. Due to her travelling back home to Upington in the Northern Cape after the ceremony, she was unavailable for an interview but her eldest son, Prince Jacobus Titus, spoke of her overwhelming joy regarding the occasion. Titus said despite her many nods from the government, including the presidential Order of the Baobab in Silver, this…

Former ANC and South African president Thabo Mbeki has once again thrown the cat among the pigeons in a letter he wrote to the governing party. Mbeki’s letter was written on Wednesday and later on the day it was leaked and started making the rounds, mainly on WhatsApp groups of ANC leaders. It was addressed to party deputy president Paul Mashatile. In the main, it’s about the Phala Phala scandal. Mbeki raised serious concerns about the manner in which the party had managed it, saying it had all the hallmarks of how Nkandlagate, which entangled former President Jacob Zuma, was handled. He also said he was disturbed by the way the ANC has voted on the matter of Eskom, where some MPs wanted the corruption allegations in the state-owned power…

THE Stormers will approach every game over the next couple of months as do-or-die affairs in their bid to progress further in the Champions Cup and United Rugby Championship (URC). Tomorrow, they face Harlequins (4pm kick-off) in their first knockout match of the Champions Cup, looking to book their place in the quarter-finals. After starting the Champions Cup with a loss away to Clermont, the Stormers won their next three games on the trot to book a home play-off. If other results go their way, and they beat Harlequins tomorrow, the Cape side can possibly host a Champions Cup quarter-final at Cape Town Stadium. But for now, their only focus is on the Harlequins match. “The mental approach, for every game over the next couple of months, is do-or-die. You…

KAIZER Chiefs want to run a tight ship when they finally launch a women’s team, hence it was important to renew their partnership with Medshield medical scheme. Arguably the most successful and followed club in South Africa, Chiefs have been criticised for not investing in the fast-growing space of women’s football by not forming a women’s team. When Amakhosi marketing and commercial director Jessica Motaung was appointed by CAF as a member of the Organising Committee for Women’s Football Standing Committee in May last year, the move was met with bemusement. In her defence, though, Motaung said plans were already afoot to form the team which would compete in the national, semi-professional Super League. If that happens they would become the fifth PSL club to have a women’s…

NKOSIKHONA Mhlakwana knows that the nation is highly expectant, he knows that he has whetted the appetite of the running public, and he knows that he cannot disappoint. He knows he will toe the start line of the TotalSports Two Oceans Marathon on April 15 as a favourite to win. After all, he should have won last year. The runner, popularly known as Caster, finished a close second to Ednadale Belachew following a sprint finish in the 56km race. He crossed the line just three seconds behind the Ethiopian, his time of three hours, nine minutes and eight seconds, impressive for a novice. A year later, Mhlakwana believes he is a much stronger and wiser athlete, having followed that brilliant Two Oceans debut with a similarly impressive run at the…

Irate lawyer says clients unlawfully arrested It emerged in the Durban Magistrate’s Court yesterday during a heated hearing that the four men suspected of being involved in the murder of rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and his friend Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane were not linked to the double murder. This was revealed in court when one of the four men, Siphamandla Ngcobo, made his first appearance on charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances. The other three were released on Wednesday night. Defence lawyer advocate Annelene van den Heever, who was fuming, told the court that her clients were arrested at 10am on Sunday at a shopping centre in Belhar, Cape Town, where videos of them were taken and circulated on social media. The four were brought back to KwaZulu-Natal and arrived on…

Staff at the Cape Town Magistrate’s and regional courts took to the streets yesterday to voice their anger over what they termed an “abuse of power” by magistrates sitting at the court. Among the issues raised were the “minimising” and “belittling” of court staff, including clerks, interpreters and registrars. Motlatsi Tsubane, who identified himself as an interpreter but preferred to be quoted as the representative of unionised staff, said there had been two incidents recently involving a sitting magistrate calling an interpreter to the witness box on immediate “contempt of court” allegations. He said they constantly felt “embarrassed” and “verbally abused” in what is a public space – the courtroom. He said the interpreter had been sitting in at a trial, and when her phone rang unexpectedly the magistrate told…

In Premier Alan Winde’s weekly Energy Digicon, Infrastructure MEC Tertuis Simmers elaborated on the R61.9 million his department allocated towards energy initiatives, one being that residents in indigent households will benefit from solar geyser installations to mitigate the energy crisis for the most vulnerable citizens. Simmers said the department had dug deep into their pockets to find immediate solutions to the current energy crisis and allocated R61.9m towards various energy initiatives in the 2023/24 financial year. “In support of the economy and society: R9.8m is budgeted for project preparation support for independent power producer procurement in Stellenbosch, R1m for project preparation support for exploring gas power, R3m for planning for grid and transmission infrastructure upgrades, and R24m for 976 indigent households to benefit from solar geyser installations as our contribution…

THE Sekunjalo Group, an investor and shareholder in one of South Africa’s largest media houses, Independent Media, has set the record straight regarding its support for its media investment. The group also welcomed the settlement reached in the matter between the PIC and Ayo Technology Solutions Limited. This is in light of an internal memo to Independent Media staff that was leaked over the weekend, and the recent announcement of the settlement. The group said there had been “great confusion caused by certain aspects of the media and a concerted effort to conflate the two entirely independent organisations and their situations”. “As an investor and shareholder in both AYO and Independent Media (IM), the Sekunjalo Group (Sekunjalo Investment Holdings/Sekunjalo) has also been drawn into the maelstrom and so we would…

ROY Hodgson is solely focused on helping Crystal Palace retain their Premier League status and is banking on the connections he made in his previous stint at Selhurst Park to help him reintegrate, the former England manager said yesterday. Hodgson, who was in charge of Palace from 2017-2021, replaced Patrick Vieira earlier this month after the Frenchman was sacked following a poor run of form that left the team three points above the relegation zone. Palace are the only side in the league without a win in 2023, having drawn five and lost seven of their games. They are 12th on 27 points with 10 games to play. “The time I spent here were good years. I forged a very good relationship, not only with the owners and the sporting…

CHARLES Leclerc cautioned yesterday against expecting any “miracles” from Ferrari at the Australian Grand Prix, in stark contrast to last year when he was the runaway winner. The 25-year-old clocked a commanding victory at Albert Park in 2022, leading from start to finish, having also won the season opener at Bahrain to be the early championship leader. But it is a different scenario this time as Ferrari struggle with power and reliability issues. “Yeah, good memories, but looking at this year we are not coming into this race in the same situation as we were last year,” Leclerc admitted. “I think clearly our performance is not as good as last year, but we are working massively to try and come back to the front. “I don’t think there will be…

THE feud between the PGA Tour and breakaway LIV Golf Series has left the sport in turmoil, but Masters champions Patrick Reed and Bubba Watson do not expect any animosity when players from both circuits tee it up at Augusta National next week. LIV, which is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and the PGA Tour have been in litigation since several LIV players filed federal anti-trust lawsuits last August. While they remain banned from PGA Tour events, Augusta will open its doors to LIV’s biggest names from next Thursday to Sunday. Reed and Watson are among six golfers who qualified with a lifetime exemption as past winners of the tournament. “The storylines are going to be obviously LIV versus PGA Tour and all that,” 2018 champion Reed said…