Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-05-25 i Cape Argus

Student Representative Council (SRC) members and fellow students marched to the offices of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) in Christiaan Barnard Street yesterday to hand over their memorandum of grievances. University of Free State (UFS) and University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) SRC members joined the rest of the Cape universities for the peaceful, yet commanding, march that started off outside the District Six CPUT campus. The marchers said their issues with NSFAS were not new. There had been engagement prior to the march, notifying board members about their grievances and their presence outside their offices. NSFAS chief financial officer (CFO) Masile Ramorwesi and spokesperson Slumezi Skosana stood outside the offices as University of Cape Town (UCT) SRC president Hlengiwe Dube read out the memorandum approved by all the students…

Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise has said the Department of Defence’s (DOD) problems such as under-funding, corruption, the competence of soldiers and issues with audited results must be tackled urgently. Modise was speaking in Parliament during the debate on the Defence budget during which concerns were expressed by speakers about the department’s lack of control over spending, which had resulted in irregular expenditure, including a R3 billion overspend on salaries. The minister said: “I have directed that work begin to reconfigure, reposition and reorganise the department to ensure coherent command and control and appropriate governance and accountability.” Modise highlighted the DOD’s defence procurement system as the single most prevalent problem in the SANDF, and said consequence management would be relentlessly pursued. “We simply cannot continue with non-compliance…

Ward 62 councillor Emile Langenhoven (DA) has challenged the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) over the question of neglected problem buildings and properties owned by the department in the Wynberg/Constantia area. Langenhoven has joined forces with the DA’s DPWI parliamentary spokesperson Sello Seithlo and they have taken a joint approach to the problem with Langenhoven gathering signatures from his ward for a petition, which Seithlo will present to Parliament’s public works portfolio committee. Langenhoven said that when the petition was presented to the portfolio committee, the affected residents would be asked to present their concerns to the portfolio committee. He said: “I hope to have the co-operation from the entire ward when I publish the petition as this would be a pilot into how we can deal with…

ERIK ten Hag said Manchester United must strive for more, even though his team look set to clinch a place in next season’s Uefa Champions League. United need just one point from their final two Premier League games against Chelsea and Fulham to secure a top-four finish after a season out of Europe’s elite club competition. Ten Hag also ended the club’s six-year wait for a trophy in his first season in charge by lifting the League Cup in February. The Dutchman could even end his debut campaign in England with two trophies as United face local rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final. But Ten Hag insisted the Red Devils’ targets must be even higher next season as they seek to rekindle former glories. “We are in a…

MS DHONI is looking to bow out in style by winning the Indian Premier League with Chennai Super Kings for the fifth time – unless the 41-year-old cricket superstar stuns everyone and keeps going. On Tuesday, skipper Dhoni’s tactical nous – at times controversial – again sealed the deal as CSK overcame the fancied Gujarat Titans by 15 runs to book a slot in Sunday’s final at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad. With his finishing skills on the wane, a dodgy knee and his place in the batting order increasingly hard to justify, Dhoni has suggested on several occasions his retirement is imminent. He again kept fans guessing, saying on Tuesday he would take until the auctions for the 2024 IPL in December to make his final decision.…

LIKE the quintessential Apollo Creed, a team always needs a veteran with that world weary experience – a player or players who have seen it all, been there, done that, seen it and lived to tell the tale – in their corner. The Spar Proteas have several such players to call on in this Rocky story, including Izette Griesel, who will be expected to boss centre court in attack and becalm the nerves of her less experienced teammates during the upcoming Netball World Cup. There are, after all, Clubber Lang-esque opponents to conquer if they are to push deep into the tournament, including Australia, New Zealand, England and Jamaica, the latter of whom are also in the Proteas’ preliminary group. It will be Griesel’s third World Cup, and coupled with…

Africa Day is the annual commemoration of the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity founded on May 25, 1963. Since then countries around the continent have celebrated the day that unites Africans. One of the most common ways is music. No matter which part of Africa a person comes from, the power of music allows us to connect, from amapiano, afrobeats, kizomba and Gnawa. In celebration of Africa Day, IOL Entertainment spoke to a few artists about what makes Africa special. Nathi Mankayi The South African singer-songwriter and artist burst onto the music scene with his smash hit Nomvula off his triple-platinum debut album Buyelekhaya. The Mthatha-born talent has always been proud of his roots, showcasing it in his music. What’s your take on African culture having an impact…

An angry mother wants justice after a teacher used pepper spray on pupils at a primary school in Vredendal. The woman said her son, who is in Grade 4, told her they were sprayed because of an eraser which was thrown in the classroom. The incident occurred on May 17, at Vergenoeg Primary School in Vredendal North. The teacher was facing the black board at the time and turned around and asked the pupils about it but no one answered. “My son told me after the eraser was thrown the teacher asked who did that and no one answered. “He was sitting with an asthmatic child in the front row. The teacher closed the door. At first she told the class she was looking for a lighter. “I have no…

South Africa’s fuel price determination comprised different elements, some of which made fuel in the country more expensive than in neighbouring countries to which South Africa exported. This is according to the AA, as it drafted a petrol breakdown in the country on Tuesday. The AA said petrol users across South Africa were paying around R1.50 a litre more for fuel in May 2023 compared with the same time last year. The increases to 93ULP inland and 95ULP at the coast represented increases of around 7% to petrol over a year period. The wholesale price of diesel over the same period decreased from R21.99/l in May 2022 to R20.15 in May 2023 inland, and from R21.34/l in May 2022 to R19.43/l in May 2023 at coastal rates. The AA noted…

ANNUAL consumer price inflation (CPI) in South Africa slowed to 6.8% in April from 7.1% in March, driven by easing meat, oils, fats and fuel prices, although increases were experienced in some categories. This was the lowest reading since May 2022, when the rate was 6.5%, and below market forecasts of 7%, giving hope that the South African Reserve Bank will start tapering its monetary policy in the second half of the year when inflation drops within the 3%-6% target range. Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said yesterday transport recorded its ninth successive month of disinflation in April, softening to 7.6%, mainly due to the annual rate for fuel easing to 5.0% – the lowest reading since March 2021. Stats SA also said the annual inflation rate for food and…

EVERTON go into their final-day fixture at home to Bournemouth on Sunday with their proud 69-year presence in the top flight of English football depending on a repeat of the two last-day escapes of the 1990s that are part of the club’s folklore. Victory at Goodison Park will ensure a 121st top-flight season – a record unmatched anywhere in the world – while a draw or even defeat will see Everton safe if Leicester City and Leeds United fail to beat West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur respectively in the simultaneous kick-offs (5.30pm). Everton are on 33 points to the 31 of their relegation rivals. The previous lowest total to avoid the drop was the 34 of West Bromwich Albion in 2005, but Everton fans won’t care a jot about…

IGA Swiatek can become the first back-to-back women’s champion at the French Open in 16 years if she can shake off a worrying injury. Elsewhere, rivals battle inconsistent form and bruised confidence ahead of the season’s second Grand Slam tournament which gets underway in Paris on Sunday. Here, we look at three talking points in the women’s singles: Title back-up systems failure World No 1 Swiatek is already a three-time major winner after capturing the 2020 and 2022 French Opens as well as the 2022 US Open. Now the 21-year-old Pole attempts to become the first back-to-back women’s champion at Roland Garros since Justine Henin won three on the bounce from 2005. It is a challenge which has defied some of the greats. Maria Sharapova was champion in 2012 but…

South Africans will have to dig even deeper as interest rates are tipped to reach their highest level in 14 years this month. Investors have priced in another 50 basis points hike by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) as the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is set to announce its decision today. This would be the 10th consecutive increase since the start of last year, and comes as headline consumer inflation for April is unlikely to fall within the central bank’s target range of 3% to 6% per annum, just one month after it remained sticky at 7.1% in March. Consumer inflation has been above 6% since May last year, and food inflation raced to a 14-year peak in March this year, coming in at 14%. The latest Household Affordability…

Nyanga CPF slams brutal vigilante action The Nyanga Community Police Forum has condemned a vicious vigilante attack on seven men yesterday. The incident left two men, aged 23 and 26, dead and five victims between the age of 15 and 27 wounded. One of the victims had his tongue removed. The bodies were dumped near Oscar Mpetha in Emms Drive, Nyanga yesterday afternoon. CPF secretary-general Dumisani Qwebe said: “We were informed the victims were killed for raping women and also hijackings. “We understand they are from Lower Crossroads and the assault started there. “The killers came to dump the bodies in Nyanga near a school; the children and teachers are obviously traumatised. “We condemn such incidents and we would like to urge people to report crime instead of taking the…

ActionSA says it has written to Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) commissioner Unathi Kamlana in its bid to get to the bottom of Thabo Bester’s banking activities. This comes a week after the convicted Facebook rapist was seen wearing an expensive top said to have cost at least R18 000. Bester, who is being held at the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria, appeared briefly in a virtual appearance where his case was postponed to June 20. According to media reports, Bester, also known as TK, TK Nkwana, or Motsepe, is alleged to have had access to his laptop and other amenities while serving jail time at the Mangaung Correctional Centre. In May 2022, he staged an escape allegedly with the help of at least five G4S employees, who…

The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation has chastised DA leader John Steenhuisen for his speech in Chatsworth, Durban, on Saturday, in which he used the name of the late Struggle hero to make a point in his ongoing campaign against the Employment Equity Amendment Bill. In his speech, Steenhuisen called for a mass defiance campaign against the bill in the style of those Kathrada championed and was sent to jail for during the anti-apartheid struggle. He said in part: “I’m sharing this story with you because I’d like all of us here to consider what Uncle Kathy would say about the ANC’s new racial quota law.” He said that in KZN the ANC wanted to limit the share of Indian people working in skilled positions at every company in the retail industry.…

The new load shedding schedule expected to hit the residents of eThekwini has left many people with sleepless nights. After the impact of last year’s April floods on Durban and the surrounding areas, which left a trail of destruction, eThekwini has had a reprieve from Eskom’s national load shedding schedule. Many have lost jobs because of the power cuts that have impacted many industries, facilities such as hospitals, schools, universities and the commercial and the manufacturing sectors. People’s houses have burnt down, appliances destroyed, and children and other family members injured when power surges cause damage to their homes. In many of these sectors, jobs are continually shed because of the high operational costs, without profits, as a result of many hours without productivity. South Africans feel their lives have…

AN upswing in form at a crucial time of the season has suddenly made Springbok scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies look like a serious contender for a place among the players travelling to the World Cup later this year. But before the quicksilver scrumhalf can think of a ticket to France, he has the vital task of helping the Stormers claim back-to-back URC titles when they take on Munster on Saturday (6.30pm kick-off) in the final at a sold-out Cape Town Stadium. After missing out on a place with South Africa on the November tour to Europe last year, and having to rotate the Stormers No 9 jersey with Paul de Wet, Jantjies has found his mojo again. The same mojo that saw him go to the 2019 World Cup as a…

AUSTRALIA’S head coach Andrew McDonald yesterday backed under-pressure David Warner to play “a really significant part” in the Ashes starting next month in England. The 36-year-old opening batsman has been a mainstay of the Australian team since making his debut against New Zealand in 2011. But the left-hander approaches the Ashes and World Test Championship final against India at The Oval with one century in his past 32 innings and a mediocre record in England. “We’re optimistic with what Dave’s got left,” McDonald told SEN radio yesterday, addressing doubts about Warner’s immediate future in the side. “We’ve picked him in the squad and we feel that he’s going to play a really significant part in the Ashes and the World Test Championship final, and that’s why he’s on the plane.…

WITH just over three months to go to the Rugby World Cup, time is running out for players to catch the eye of Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber. The final 33-man group that will go to France will be announced on August 8, and there have already been a few training camps that have taken place. Springboks boss Nienaber and SA Rugby’s director of rugby Rassie Erasmus will address the media in Cape Town today to discuss all their plans in the build-up to the defence of the RWC title, but they face a tough task in narrowing down the surfeit of talent to just 33 names. There are so many options in almost every position. Willie le Roux, Damian Willemse, Cheslin Kolbe or Kurt-Lee Arendse at fullback? Who should the…