Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-09-26 i Cape Argus

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FOUR boys were killed when they allegedly stepped into water where live electrical wires lay in the flooded area of the Klipfontein Mission informal settlement near Crossroads. The wires were part of illegal electricity connections in the area. Along with their tragic deaths, strong winds and persistent rain caused havoc in the Western Cape following a Level 9 warning of disruptive rain and gale-force winds by the SA Weather Services (Saws) from Sunday to yesterday. The Western Cape government and the City of Cape Town recorded damage including flooded houses, communities being evacuated, roads washed away, trees uprooted and electricity outages. The City’s disaster co-ordinating committee, composed of all the City’s departments and relevant external services, has been activated and remains in effect to manage the impact of the…

A bouncer and a security guard were killed on Sunday night in two separate incidents in Durban, in Tongaat, north of the central business district and in the Point waterfront area, In Tongaat, Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) responded to a call just before 8pm, on Gopalall Hurbans Road. A 40-year-old male was found on the pavement, unresponsive, with a stab wound in his chest. Rusa received a call for assistance Reaction Officers were dispatched to the scene and on arrival were informed that the deceased was a bouncer at a bar. Circumstances that led to the murder were not established, it said. IOL contacted Saps in KwaZulu-Natal to confirm the details and are awaiting a reply from the provincial office. In the second incident, Emer-G-Med said its teams responded…

DESPITE the inclement weather across the Western Cape and parts of the country, communities came together to celebrate the country’s richness in diversity and heritage over the weekend, as well as to remember the devastations that had impacted communities such as mass forced removals as a result of apartheid-enforced policies. Heritage Day was commemorated on Sunday, with several events taking place since the start of the weekend. In Simon’s Town, a Heritage Day commemorative march took place from Jubilee Square to the Simon’s Town Museum, organised by the museum and the Simon’s Town Phoenix Committee. The march saw historically displaced communities gather with signs displaying the names of the streets they had grown up on, a reminder of Simon’s Town’s dark history of violent displacement. The annual Heritage Day march…

Following on last week’s column, this week I focus on those who land up unhoused in the city and reject the City’s welfare offer of shelter and imprisonment in homelessness and how these individuals are hounded and forced “to keep on moving” until they are ultimately forced into becoming the “hidden homeless”. Post-Covid-19, and its impact through the PIE act, etc, many of those hiding in informal settlements for fear of being criminalised in the city also chanced it returning to the CBD and other major business nodes such as Bellville. The City has, in turn, shown clearly that policy hasn’t changed to a “caring policy” as the mayor initially claimed, by seeking court orders to keep certain areas and suburbs clear of those who simply cannot afford a home.…

Allowing transgender women to compete in sports against cisgender women may not be a good idea and could be a contentious issue. It appears that women claim to have been born into male bodies more frequently than men claim to have been born into female bodies. Consequently, I asked myself why this might be the case and came up with the following explanations: Boys who transition to female are permitted to compete in women’s sports, potentially giving them a greater chance of excelling in sports and securing scholarships or other opportunities compared with girls transitioning to male. Additionally, they may have a better chance of pursuing a career in sports later in life than women transitioning to male. Men who transition to female may have a higher likelihood of receiving…

Thousands of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh streamed into Armenia yesterday, as the leaders of Azerbaijan and ally Türkiye hailed Baku’s victory over the rebel enclave at a summit. While Azerbaijan showcased its regional alliances, Russia hit back at embattled Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan after he blamed Moscow for the swift defeat of the breakaway territory. Several days after the fighting, the first refugees arrived in Armenia on Sunday and 6 650 people have so far entered, Yerevan said yesterday. Reporters saw the refugees crowding into a humanitarian hub set up in a local theatre in the city of Goris to register for transport and housing. “We lived through terrible days,” said Anabel Ghulasyan, 41, from the village of Rev, known as Shalva in Azeri. She arrived in Goris with her…

The escalating costs of healthcare are challenging the traditional employer-sponsored medical scheme membership model. For many, the hyper- inflationary increases in the cost of comprehensive medical scheme membership, with its expensive prescribed minimum benefits (PMB) model, places it out of reach for a huge section of South Africa’s working population. Even with subsidisation by employers, many employees can no longer afford their contributions, more so as other household expenses like high food, fuel and electricity costs and high interest-bearing debt repayments on house and car loans eat into their income than ever before. “Increasingly, where previously there was a trend of medical scheme members buying down to lower ‘core’ benefit options but ensuring some access to private healthcare, at least for any hospitalisation requirements, we’re now seeing people opting out…

The principal of Noluthando School for the Deaf in Khayelitsha is on medical leave for the remainder of the term amid protests by learners and staff calling for the principal’s removal from the school. The special needs school saw disruptions to its teaching and learning programme last week, as several staff claimed that a myriad serious grievances against the principal and other senior staff members raised with the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) were not being addressed. The group of teachers had written a petition letter in March, calling for immediate action to be taken over what they have referred to as long-standing issues at the school. The staff had also previously gone on a go-slow in response to the inaction. Some of the grievances include “continuing, consistent ill-treatment of…

POLICE divers continue to search for a 21-year-old man who went missing at Camps Bay Beach, while a Good Samaritan is recovering in hospital after being treated for non-fatal drowning symptoms sustained while trying to save a youngster in difficulty. The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Table Bay was activated on Friday following witness reports of a man who went missing at Camps Bay. NSRI Bakoven Station 2, NSRI Table Bay Station 3, SAPS, CoCT Law Enforcement, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services, WC Government Health EMS and Netcare 911 ambulance services also all responded to the scene. According to NSRI Bakoven deputy station commander Bevan Geyser, they launched the rescue craft Gemini Legend. Cape Town Helicopters dispatched four helicopters at various stages in the afternoon, during routine flights to…

There is nothing wrong with making a profit and enjoying a legitimate income. However, in Matthew 19:24, it is written, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God’s Kingdom.” And Islam teaches that those who are most beneficial to creation are close to righteousness, as the Creator monitors how we use money, influence, abilities, skills, and more to benefit the rest of creation. Why is this relevant? Across the world and in our society, we have wicked people who pretend to be good. Study the price increases in bread, milk, and other essentials, including water and electricity. Study how a few benefit while many others suffer. Little is being done to hold those accountable for abusing…

The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) is determined to have its deputy president and provincial chairs included in the executive branch of government. This demand comes as the governing party is holding its branch executive committee meetings to select provincial and national lists to submit to the Electoral Commission of South Africa for next year’s elections. The ANCYL has argued that its members are ready to take up positions in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s executive and that it is important for them to have a seat at the table in order to learn and grow. Added to that, the league wants its members to populate deputy ministries and the boards of key state institutions. The ANCYL’s demands are likely to spark debate within the ANC, as there is already intense lobbying for…

Revenge is a dish best served cold and Western Province delivered it frozen to the Highveld Lions at the Wanderers over the weekend. Province were on the receiving end of a couple of soul-destroying losses to the Lions last season, particularly the Wanderers. The One-Day Cup final loss at the Bullring rankled with the men in blue and white for a long time, while a further setback in the Four-Day Series was a bitter pill to swallow. But a determined Province outfit turned up at the Wanderers on Saturday to exact revenge. While the 10-wicket victory may not yet have significant consequences, Province delivered a clear message of intent. The Lions were reeling at 21/7 at one stage, with Nandré Burger (6/38) and Beuran Hendricks (3/40) wrecking havoc with the…

Potholes – a common sign that a road is deteriorating – are widespread throughout South Africa. According to the South African Roads Federation, South Africa is home to 25 million potholes, 10 million more than there were five years ago. Recently, Dialdirect noted a 15% increase in pothole-related accident claims and a 9% increase in tyre damage claims that were a direct result of a pothole. In 76% of these claims, the pothole damage was so severe that it rendered the car undriveable. The majority of pothole-related claims come from Pietermaritzburg (21%), Pretoria (20%), Potchefstroom (17%), Bloemfontein (15%), Johannesburg (14%) and Durban (13%). Most of these pothole-related claims are logged from incidents that occurred during off-peak traffic times when motorists tend to drive a bit faster. “Dodging potholes has fast…

Limpopo police said a 17-year-old Grade 11 pupil would make his first court appearance today in Mahwelereng Magistrate’s Court after being arrested for the murder of a fellow pupil. It is alleged that the victim, Eliya Phago, 17, who was a Grade 11 pupil at Rakodubana High School, became embroiled in a heated argument, which led to his death. It is also reported that the two boys met at a local tuckshop in Galakwena village on September 20 at about 8pm. The suspect allegedly pulled out a sharp object, stabbed the victim in the upper body, then fled the scene. The victim was rushed to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on arrival. On Thursday, the suspect was handed over to the police by his family. A probation officer…

Just days before three senior ranking officials in the SA Navy lost their lives in an exercise at sea, they were laughing and chatting to their chief about their upcoming event. In a statement issued after the submarine tragedy last week, Chief Vice-Admiral Monde Lobese said the magnitude of the loss was difficult to comprehend. “They were so proud to inform me about their readiness to proceed to the Waterfront for the Mini Navy Festival, and that they would conduct several evolutions en route. We laughed and shook hands, and I wished them a safe journey, never thinking that this tragedy would occur,” he said. On Wednesday, Lieutenant Commander Gillian Elizabeth Hector (executive officer), Master Warrant Officer William Masela Mathipa (coxswain) and Warrant Officer Class One Mmokwapa Lucas Mojela (coxswain…

Former Miss SA and Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi and actor and media personality Lawrence Maleka have been announced as hosts of the 17th annual South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas), set to take place on September 30. The announcement was made on X, sparking excitement, with the pair known for being charismatic and attention-commanding on screen. “Ladies and gentlemen, your Saftas17 hosts are Zozibini Tunzi and Lawrence Maleka! The Saftas team is excited and ready to bring you an entertaining show on September 30 at 8pm on S3 and Mzansi Magic (channel 161). It’s a date.” Tunzi is not new in the world of hosting, as she recently hosted the ninth annual Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs) in Lagos, Nigeria, alongside Nigerian media personality Ik Osakioduwa. Maleka…

Dear Ed, sadness prevails after our loss to Ireland. By that, I mean they did not defeat us; we simply lost it ourselves. Like the Scotland game, 11 points went astray for want of an accomplished kicker, as also, in this case, poor decision-making. The old saying, “once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times is war”, points to a want in captaincy. The number of times we could have put ourselves in to try scoring positions by line-out/corner flag kicks instead of opting for hopeless efforts at the poles is almost unconscionable, especially Faf’s gesture by attempting a shot at the poles from inside our half! After Kolisi went off, our standard of leadership seemed to wither and return to the old standard of trying to win a game…

But it is happening in Britain. Just after the British Museum theft left all of Britain embarrassed, another scandal rocks the UK. Yes, it’s sex in the operating theatre. A survey aired by the BBC found that a shocking one-third of female surgeons interviewed had said they had been sexually assaulted by their male counterparts. While the patient lay on the operating table, heavily sedated, male surgeons played the mating game, forcing themselves on the trainee female surgeons – groping, fondling, kissing and even raping them. A female surgeon said a male surgeon even put his face into her cleavage while surgery was going on. The victims of sexual abuse did not report the incidents, for fear of victimisation of reprisal. Some of the surgeons were high-profile individuals and they…

REGARDING the legal dispute involving the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (Sactwu) and the Independent Media Consortium (IMC), take note of the facts. Back in 2013, the Independent Media Consortium (IMC) was established to acquire Independent Media from its Irish owners. At the time of its formation, IMC was known as Sekunjalo Independent Media (SIM). SIM/IMC functioned as a special purpose vehicle (SPV), entirely distinct from Sekunjalo Investment Holdings (SIH/Sekunjalo), and had no association with Sekunjalo. The SPV’s purpose was to hold a 55% stake in Independent Media in exchange for the consortium’s financial contribution. This ownership in Independent Media represented the sole asset of the consortium. IMC comprised various union groups, including Cosatu’s investment arm, Kopano, the military veterans’ association MKVA, several women’s groups, black business groups,…