Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-08-02 i Cape Argus

The Kremlin said other countries’ interest in joining the BRICS group of nations was proof of the bloc’s growing authority on the world stage, but hinted at disagreements over its possible expansion ahead of a summit. BRICS’ members – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – are due to convene in Johannesburg from August 22 to 24, and a potential expansion will be high on the agenda, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said yesterday. “This is a very important topic because we see that more and more countries are making statements about their intention ofjoining BRICS,” Peskov told reporters. “In general, such interest in the BRICS group shows the great potential of the association, its growing authority and, most importantly, the practical importance of this association.” South Africa said last…

DESPITE an autopsy result which showed that her baby had died of a viral lung infection, eight-month-old Qiran Chaterbury’s mom Zaida Adams Chaterbury yesterday insisted that he had not been sick on the day he died at a daycare centre in Bonteheuwel. “I accept the autopsy results but at the same time I wish I can see everything in writing. The detective told us to wait till the end of the month to receive the copy of the results,” said Adams-Chaterbury. Her son died on June 5 at Linda’s Daycare in Bonteheuwel, which was subsequently shut last week by the Western Cape Education Department, following an investigation, because it was non-compliant in the norms and standards for safety as prescribed by the Children’s Act. The department issued a notice of…

In 1983, nine other students and I completed the one-year National Teachers’ Diploma (Workshop) at the Peninsula Technikon in Bellville. Our lead lecturer Mr Ess, MA (London) and MEd (Canberra), taught us history of education, psychology of education, general didactics and education technology. He constantly reminded us that “if half of this class don’t have their first degrees within the next five years, then I don’t know”. This stuck with me throughout my academic journey. Mr Ess, you would be pleased to know we followed your advice. Although I do not know the whereabouts of one member, the rest of the group has accumulated 17 degrees (these include four Master’s degrees). In addition, one member is a practising law advocate. Thanks, Mr Ess.…

Amazing local author Chris van Wyk – now late – wrote his famous book Eggs to Lay, Chickens to Hatch about 13 years ago. That book caught my eye at the 2011 Time of the Writer at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, where Van Wyk was a moderator for the other book simultaneously released that year (Zuma’s Bastard). I had never written a book before, but even barely halfway through Van Wyk's, I decided there and then that this was it. I was going to also explore my childhood. I, too, had lots of shenanigans to share. I was captured by Van Wyk's description of the dusty mining dumps around his Johannesburg suburban village where poor children like him used to explore every day after school. The dump was once a…

South Africa continues to struggle with high levels of unemployment, violence and poverty. In fact, our country has the greatest income inequality in the world; more than half of our children (63%) live in households that are below the poverty line. The connection between poverty and mental health problems is well documented: People who live with mental health issues often face additional challenges in making a living, and people living in poverty are at greater risk of developing mental health disorders. All of this disproportionately affects young people, yet fewer than 10% of youth who need mental health services have access to them. Research also shows that the more violence young people are exposed to, the greater the likelihood of them developing post-traumatic stress disorder. Violence, poverty, discrimination, and marginalisation…

Mumbai: At least 17 workers were crushed to death and three injured people taken to hospital in western India yesterday when a crane collapsed above an under-construction expressway outside Mumbai, officials said. The crane toppled onto large concrete slabs during the night, with debris then smashing down as labourers worked on the Samruddhi Expressway in Maharashtra state, India’s National Disaster Response Force said. Rescuers worked through piles of mangled steel girders at the construction site in Thane, in the suburbs of Mumbai. | AFP…

GENEVA: The UN’s cultural protection agency, Unesco, plans to recommend adding Venice to its list of World Heritage sites in danger, as the island city faces threats from climate change, mass tourism and rapid urban development. The designation, meant to encourage remedial actions for World Heritage sites, is recommended in a report published this week that identifies dozens of sites that are threatened by armed conflict or natural disasters. Climate scientists have warned that Venice could be underwater by 2100. Record floods surged through the city in 2019. | Washington Post…

Potential suitors will have to splash out close to R40 million if they are to lure Khanyisa Mayo away from Cape Town City, says club owner John Comitis. Mayo has had a target on his back since sharing the Premiership’s top goalscorer’s award last season with ace Mamelodi Sundowns marksman Peter Shalulile after scoring 12 goal. Comitis has previously stressed his intention to hold on to the son of former Kaizer Chiefs player Patrick Mayo, despite plenty of interest from the Soweto giants, Sundowns and clubs abroad. Mayo also showed his commitment to the Citizens at the end of last season by signing a three-year contract extension that effectively keeps the 24-year-old in Cape Town for a further five years. “We want to keep him,” Comitis said. “Mayo’s value is…

A 27-YEAR-OLD man appeared in Goodwood Magistrate’s Court for the murder of his mother. Arno Slabbert was arrested after Margot, 55, was found with her throat slit on Friday afternoon in Bothasig Gardens, a social housing complex. A resident said the victim, who was well-known in the area, had been living there for many years. “I’m not sure who discovered the body; it could have been the husband when he came home around 5pm or the security. The suspect, Arno, would fight with his mother; he was very quiet, he didn’t greet people and we heard that he beat her up. “The incident happened during the day when the husband was at work,” said the neighbour. Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said Bothasig police registered a murder case for investigation after…

The task of improving literacy is traditionally left to the teacher, but the parent is really the first epistemic agency in the child’s journey towards literacy. The opening sentence in Nadeem Aslam’s The Blind Man’s Garden, adds: History is the third parent. On the first page, a father tells his son a story containing a villain. Seeing a trace of consternation on the child’s face during the reading, he stops and asks: “But have you ever heard a story in which the evil person triumphs at the end?” The boy thought a while before replying. “No,” he said, “but before they lose, they harm the good people. That is what I am afraid of.“ This minimal extract embodies everything that is necessary for all children to develop, no matter what…

Life is difficult enough without some making it more difficult for others. Often people who have a bad day, week or life, think it is okay to spread their misery. A friend and I visited a hardware store where the staff showed little interest in our business. When we enquired about pricing, a staffer said he did not know. Customers were ignored, and were left to find things themselves. When I asked why the service was so poor, a staffer said they were understaffed, another said they did not earn much and the owners were selfish and greedy. As a customer, I did not want to be involved with business management or anything else, but wanted affordable products with quality advice. I experienced indifference and complaints that were not my…

South Africa has become a lawless country in which criminals thrive while law-abiding citizens live in fear. Law and order have become a foreign concept in a country with worse levels of crime and corruption. From illegal mining activities to shootings between warring factions to political killings between councillors, the country’s lack of law enforcement has rendered it dysfunctional. But what can citizens expect when we are led by the same people who commit crime daily? Our leaders have shown us they do not respect the law. President Cyril Ramaphosa is accused of money laundering after theft of American dollars stuffed in couches at his Phala Phala farm in 2020. Protectors of his deputy, Paul Mashatile, assaulted civilians in broad daylight. Ten years later, the Senzo Meyiwa murder case has…

Stockholm: Sweden’s government said yesterday that it intended to intensify border controls due to a worsened security situation in the wake of several protests involving desecrations of the Qur’an. Tensions have flared between Sweden and Muslim countries after several protests involving public desecrations of the Qur’an, including setting pages alight. On Monday, two Iraqi men burned the Muslim holy text in front of Sweden’s parliament. The Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has voiced its disappointment with Sweden and Denmark for not taking action. | AFP…

Banyana Banyana have drawn inspiration from the wins by their African counterparts in the World Cup ahead of their must-win match against Italy this morning. Banyana are on the cusp of history as they could reach the World Cup last-16 for the first time if they beat Italy in Wellington and Sweden get a win or draw in their simultaneous clash against Argentina. Having come into this event as the African Champions, South Africa were expected to wrap up their last-16 spot early in Group G, but lapses in concentration resulted in a loss to Sweden and a draw with Argentina. That winless streak means that Banyana are the only African representatives without a win in the event after Nigeria, Morocco and Zambia all bagged victories. With the clash against…

Move viewed as threat to press freedom and job security of about 1 600 employees IN WHAT could potentially be a devastating blow to media freedom in South Africa, Standard Bank South Africa (SBSA) has issued letters to Independent Media and 30 other companies in the Sekunjalo Group, informing them of the closure of their business bank accounts on August 21. The Cape Argus, Cape Times, Star, Daily News, IOL, and several major news outlets around the country are Independent Media brands, and staff’s salaries are paid via Standard Bank accounts. The move by SBSA, which has been viewed as yet another example of international banks’ egregious abuse of power, is a direct threat to the job security of an estimated 1 600 media workers employed by Sekunjalo, which is…

Your lead story, “Doctors call for halt of NHI bill”, (Cape Argus, July 26) refers. It is time for the ANC to admit its failures in improving the public health-care system. For more than 20 years, access to quality health care has been a resolution taken at all ANC conferences, yet nothing has seriously been done to address the dire state of health-care services in the country. With elections looming, the party appears to be acting out of desperation, with a poorly thought-out National Health Insurance bill being fast-tracked through Parliament. The reality is that less than 16% of South Africans have access to medical aid schemes, leaving most citizens with the burden of dealing with a deteriorating public health system overseen by the government. It is clear that something…

FEMALE genital mutilation, which remains rampant in various parts of Africa and the Middle East, is a violation of female reproductive rights, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) website states that approximately 200 million girls and women alive today, in 31 nations worldwide, have had their intimate parts cut, with age ranges of 0 – 11 years. Civil society, activists, international development agencies and governments are struggling to find common ground with the enforcers of these conventional ways of sexual grooming or rite of passage, and the parents of these young girls. One could argue that vilifying their customs is a cultural imposition that commits the same colonial crime the decolonial movement seeks to free us from, and that concern is…

At least 20 people were killed and 19 were missing after heavy rains lashed Beijing and surrounding provinces, state media said yesterday, in downpours that have submerged roads and deluged neighbourhoods with mud. Storm Doksuri, a former super typhoon, swept northwards over China after hitting southern Fujian province on Friday, following its battering of the Philippines. Heavy rains began pummelling the capital and surrounding areas on Saturday, with nearly the average rainfall for the entire month of July dumped on Beijing in just 40 hours. Swaths of suburban Beijing remain badly hit by the rains, some of the city’s heaviest in years. On the banks of the Mentougou River, one of the worst affected areas, reporters saw muddy debris strewn across the road. One man said he had not seen…

SYDNEY: A former Australian child-care worker has been charged with 1 623 child abuse offences against 91 children between 2007 and 2022, federal police said yesterday. The 45-year-old man has been in custody in Queensland state since August last year when police arrested and charged him initially for making child exploitation material. Police alleged more self-produced child abuse material was found on electronic devices owned by the man, after further investigations. They said the man recorded the offences while working in various childcare centres. | Reuters…

The new Premiership season is on our doorstep as clubs from around South Africa put in their final preparations for this weekend’s first match-day. AmaZulu FC, Royal AM, TS Galaxy and Golden Arrows made up the bottom half of the league standings last season, surviving an intense relegation battle, but also missing out on a top-eight spot. With the new season set to kick off on Friday, Smiso Msomi takes a look at potential mid-table occupants. TS Galaxy Head Coach: Sead Ramovic Last Season: 10th The Rockets have undoubted potential to play any club off the pitch on a good day, with their head coach Sead Ramovic a big fan of entertainment. The Mpumalanga club’s biggest hurdle in previous years has been their inconsistency and lack of goal threat,…