Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-05-31 i Cape Argus

Theatre lovers are bound to be spoilt for choice as June arrives packed with winter warmers to keep you entertained indoors, at the theatre of your choice. Since it’s June, we can’t ignore that it’s also Youth Month. As such, Artscape CEO Marlene Le Roux shares the fine acts being showcased at the iconic theatre, which celebrates 52 years in existence. Le Roux said: “June heralds Youth Month and at Artscape we intend to celebrate this national auspicious month with a host of youth-centred productions including the Youth Jazz Series, intriguing acts by the College of Magic students, a fabulous musical by the student actors of the Waterfront Theatre School, dance productions showcasing young talent including hip hop, a Youth Month drama and so much more.“ The Artscape Theatre will…

Five schoolchildren killed as bakkie rolls There were tears of shock at the horrific scene where the bodies of five children lay scattered in the road after the bakkie they were travelling in to get to school rolled several times and crashed in Mitchells Plain. The children, aged between 13 and 16, were killed instantly and two others critically injured after being flung from the Toyota Hilux bakkie on the corner of AZ Berman Drive and Kerren Road just before 8am yesterday. The schoolchildren were from Wespoort Primary, Lentegeur High School, Duneside Primary, Highlands Primary, Harvester Primary and Ridgeville Primary. A family member of the owner of the vehicle, Thandekile Madalane, said he received a call while at home in Gugulethu, asking him to come to the scene after the…

FORMER SAA board members and employees who have left the airline, but are implicated in the Special Investigating Unit’s investigations and findings, will be pursued and face civil litigation. The SIU head, advocate Andy Mothibi, said this during a briefing to Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) on the SIU’s inquiries into corruption, maladministration and malfeasance at SAA. Back in 2019, SAA reached out to the SIU, indicating that the airline wanted assistance in investigating possible corruption and other irregularities. During a briefing to the committee in November last year, the SIU said it was probing issues concerning at least 23 contracts at SAA. These ranged from dodgy jet fuel purchases and aircraft leases to board and staff corruption. Yesterday Mothibi said that from their investigations so far, it…

Suspended members of Sasbo, the finance workers’ trade union which represents about 73 000 members in the finance sector, are considering taking their grievances with the union’s leadership to the Labour Court. The move comes after their application to have the matter of their suspensions, which stem from an ongoing dispute with the union’s leadership, was struck off the roll. Judge Cornelius van der Westhuizen struck the matter off the roll of the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria last week “for want of urgency”. The 13 suspended members, mainly from the union’s elected management committee, have been in dispute with their general secretary, Joe Kokela, over what they claim was a “coup” against them last year. The letters of suspension said that while the members had been suspended in terms…

As load shedding intensifies throughout the country, so too does crime. Some of the businesses feeling the impact are cellphone companies MTN and Vodacom as their plans to run their businesses during load shedding are being sabotaged. Cellphone giant Vodacom said at least seven generators were stolen at various sites throughout KZN in the past eight weeks. The areas included Port Shepstone, Margate, Ixopo, New Hannover, Pietermaritzburg, Howick, Kokstad, Imbali, Edendale and Scottburgh. “Base stations of local network providers are increasingly being targeted for theft and vandalism. Organised syndicates commit this crime,” said spokesperson Byron Kennedy. “It is estimated that local cellphone network providers lose hundreds of millions of rand from the damage to its base stations annually as a result of theft and vandalism which ultimately impacts the cost…

ThIS year marks the diamond jubilee of the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), currently known as the African Union (AU), that was founded in Addis Ababa. The visionary founders, including president Kwame Nkrumah and Emperor Haile Selassie, aimed to bring about political change in African states and restore the dignity of African people, who had long suffered under colonial subjugation and disenfranchisement. Their vision encompassed a united Africa, free from oppression, governed by self-determination, and destined for prosperity. The intention was to accelerate the dream of African unity and eradicate the social, political and economic challenges that had begun to define African states. Pan-Africanism emerged as a beacon of hope, inspiring many who understood its significance at the organisation’s inception. As we reflect on the ideals cherished…

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said he is happy to have Harry Maguire in the squad, but the centre back will have to make a decision about his future after losing his regular place in the team. The England international has fallen down the pecking order behind Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof, and left back Luke Shaw has also played in central defence, leaving Maguire with eight Premier League starts this season. Maguire became the world’s most expensive defender when United signed him from Leicester City for £80million in 2019. His contract is due to end in 2025. Asked about Maguire’s future, Ten Hag told The Times newspaper: “Let’s say I’m happy he’s here, and when we needed him, he did his job. But it’s also a…

As the build-up to the World Cup escalates, the mini-battles are being fought on the psychological front. And after last weekend's United Rugby Championship final it is Ireland who will have perked up considerably while South Africa will have shrugged their shoulders in indifference. That is because Munster winning was vital to an Ireland psyche that had taken a hammering after a Leinster side that is not far off the national team lost a URC semi-final to Munster, who they regard as their cousins, and the following week were bullied up front by La Rochelle in the Champions Cup final. In turn, the Stormers lost the battle of the breakdown in the URC final, which contributed significantly to their ultimate demise, but the reality is that the Springboks will inherit…

Breakout Events has announced that Deacon Blue will be heading to South Africa for the first time, in February next year. The legendary Scottish pop rock band are due to perform in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The first show is set for Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town on February 22, followed by a performance at Marks Park, Emmarentia in Johannesburg on February 24. Tickets are available through the Breakout Events website. Scottish singer-songwriter and Deacon Blue lead singer Ricky Ross said the band was thrilled to embark on Deacon Blue’s debut tour of South Africa. “We are excited to announce our first ever shows in South Africa, it’s a country that we have wanted to get to for many years and these shows, both outdoors in beautiful parks,…

More than 6 200 people were killed between January and March this year, according to the latest crime stats released by Police Minister Bheki Cele. A total of 10 512 rape cases were reported during the first three months of this year, which represents a 2.8% decrease in cases compared to the same period in 2022. Meanwhile, there were decreases in the number of carjackings (5.2%), robberies at non-residential premises (5.3%), and a 1.5% decrease in cash-in-transit heists, bank robberies and truck hijackings. However, there were increases in robberies at residential premises (5.9%), assault GBH (0.2%), common robbery (8.9%), common assault (7.6%) and robbery with aggravating circumstances (5.1%). Four police stations in the Western Cape made the top 5 national crime hotspot list. Head of police crime research and statistics…

Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Ronald Lamola has earmarked a significant portion of the department’s budget for entities on the front line of fighting corruption, crime and fraud. Speaking as he tabled his department’s R23.2 billion budget vote for the 2023/24 financial year in Parliament yesterday, Lamola said that this would ensure success in the war against graft. He said the National Prosecuting Authority’s overall allocation of the budget came to R5.4bn and that this amount included an additional grant of R915 million made by the government to strengthen its efforts in fighting crime and corruption. The NPA’s investigative directorate was allocated R336m. Lamola said the NPA effectively deals with more than 850 000 criminal cases yearly. “The progress made by the NPA is evident in the numbers. It is…

THE City has officially launched its specialised unit of 280 members that will help safeguard facilities and protect front-line staff delivering services in communities. The unit has 81 Law Enforcement Facility Protection Officers (FPOs), supported by 200 Facility Protection Monitors. Neighbourhood Watches and Community Policing Forum groups welcomed the specialised unit that will be working closely with them. The implementation of this unit follows a trail of crimes that have seen contractors and staff employed by the City fearing for their lives while delivering services in communities. The City said that in the past year, theft and vandalism of infrastructure had doubled, costing almost R60 million, with the rise driven by higher stages of Eskom blackouts. The staff will be deployed across the metropole, with particular emphasis on identified hot…

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has a nice selection headache at the start of their pre-camp today ahead of their last Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Morocco next month. The curtain on the domestic season was drawn last weekend as Orlando Pirates claimed their second trophy, the Nedbank Cup, after already winning the MTN8. The Premiership crown, though, once again belonged to Mamelodi Sundowns, who won the league with seven games to spare, falling just a point short of their 2016 record of 71 points. While Sundowns and Pirates duly walked away with the respective honours, players, coaches and referees were also rewarded for their performances at the virtual annual awards ceremony on Sunday. And to the delight of Broos, the duo of Teboho Mokoena and Monnapule Saleng were…

Rulani Mokwena was in his element after claiming the PSL Coach of the Season award, congratulating everyone who made the recognition a success – especially his players. Mamelodi Sundowns were at it again last season, winning the Premiership title for a record sixth successive season – a feat they achieved with seven games to spare. It was a milestone that exposed how much of a well-oiled machine they are compared to their rivals, who still have a long way to go if they are to knock them off their perch. And while it was a collective effort to achieve that feat, kudos should go to individuals such as coach Mokwena, who grabbed the bull by the horns after being made the sole head coach in October. The 36-year-old incredibly won…

Liverpool have appointed Jorg Schmadtke as their new sporting director, the Premier League club announced yesterday. The 59-year-old German spent over four years in the same role with Bundesliga side Wolfsburg before leaving at the start of 2023. He will begin his new role on tomorrow, subject to work permit formalities as Liverpool look to bounce back from a trophy-less season. Schmadtke will take over from Julian Ward, who is leaving after more than a decade at Anfield that featured Premier League and Champions League titles. Mike Gordon, the president of Fenway Sports Group, the club’s US-based owners, told Liverpool’s website that Schmadtke “will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience into a role in which such qualities can only be beneficial both to him and us.” “Jorg will work…

Convicted rapist Amien Fakier has been handed three consecutive life sentences for the rape of a teenage girl. The former school transport driver testified in the Parow Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon before he was given the hefty sentence. Fakier refused to take responsibility for the rape which occurred on February 19 and 20, 2020. His victim was 15 at the time and her family only found out about the rape when she tried to commit suicide. He was convicted on three counts of rape and for sexual assault, for which he will serve five years. During mitigation of sentence his lawyer, Collin Lakay, told the court that this was not the worst rape case because the 15-year-old was not physically injured. The victim’s family and supporters screamed in shock. The…

Two security guards appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court for the murder of a suspected cable thief. Riedwaan Omar, 37, was assaulted by Prasa security guards at Wetton station and dumped in Heinz Park on May 16. Two men, Masibulele Ncancashe and Sixolisiwe Qole, were arrested on May 25 for the murder of the Hanover Park man. They were charged with murder and defeating the administration of justice. Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said at the time: “Lentegeur police are investigating a murder case. According to reports the 37-year-old deceased was taken to Mitchells Plain District Hospital, Lentegeur, on May 16 by ambulance after members of the community in Heinz Park found him lying in an open field in Heinz Park.” However, after the arrests the charge sheet read: “On…

The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) said that an acute shortage of equipment can be blamed for the incident in which infants were placed in boxes at the neonatal intensive care unit of the Mahikeng Provincial Hospital. While North West health MEC Madoda Sambatha has announced that he has instructed the department to institute an investigation, as a matter of urgency, Denosa insists the matter does not need any investigation. “It is the daily reality that healthcare workers are always faced with in the healthcare service centres due to the shortage of equipment and resources,” said Denosa North West provincial secretary Reuben Molete. “As a matter of context, the neonatal intensive care unit at the hospital, which is the ICU for infants soon after their birth, has been…

A young female pangolin has been rescued from wildlife traffickers during a sting operation. According to the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital, a recent SAPS operation led to the rescue of the pangolin, which has been named Malay. “A few days ago, our team was faced with the challenging task of having to guide the emergency stabilisation of a Temminck’s pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) almost 1 500km away before she could be flown up to our hospital. “Pangolin don’t naturally occur in Cape Town, and there is only one other recorded incident of a pangolin being intercepted in the illegal trade in the Western Cape,” the hospital said. The hospital’s specialist veterinarian had to guide the veterinarian stabilising Malay at the Cape of Good Hope SPCA through evidence collection procedures and the…

The sun has shone again in Cape Town – although not for long – since the Stormers went down to Munster in the United Rugby Championship final. But there has also been heavy rain in between, and the sombre-looking grey clouds over the Mother City probably perfectly encapsulate the mood that the Stormers players, coaches and fans may have been in since Saturday’s 19-14 defeat at Cape Town Stadium. Life must go on, though, and for the Cape franchise as a whole, that comes in the shape of Western Province’s Currie Cup clash against Griquas in Kimberley on Friday (3pm kickoff). Province, who went down 34-12 to the Lions at Athlone Stadium last Friday, are involved in a tense battle for the semi-finals. They are in fourth position on the…

herman.gibbs@gmail.com Danny Jordaan, the SA Football Association’s battle-hardened administrator, knows a thing or two about World Cup and Olympic bids. In the early 1990s, he was the director of the Cape Town Olympic Bid Company, which targeted the 2004 Summer Olympics. Later, after he was elected as the CEO of Safa, he headed up South Africa’s unsuccessful 2006 Fifa World Cup bid – where SA lost narrowly to Germany, but gained great respect internationally. He led South Africa’s 2010 Fifa World Cup bid, this time successfully, and now 13 years on, he is again on the World Cup bid trail. This time, he is spearheading the country’s efforts to secure the host status of the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup. On the eve of his departure to Egypt on Monday…

Alexander Zverev made a winning return to Roland Garros yesterday with a straight-sets win over South African Lloyd Harris in the French Open first round, 12 months since suffering a serious ankle injury in the semi-finals. The German had to retire injured from a dramatic last-four clash with Rafael Nadal last season after twisting his ankle, and did not play again in 2022. Zverev, who was the third seed last year, is only seeded 22nd this time around after struggling to recapture his best form since returning to the ATP Tour. But the former US Open finalist had enough to beat Harris 7-6(6) 7-6(0) 6-1. “It’s nice to be back. I’ve marked this day in bold on my calendar since last year,” Zverev said. “I was obviously very disappointed with…