Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-11-23 i Cape Argus

Justice committee’s findings on Hlophe,Motata spark fears of threat to judicial independence IN A MOVE described as having tarnished the independence of the judiciary, the portfolio committee on justice and correctional services has resolved to recommend to the National Assembly that former Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe and Judge Nkola Motata be removed from office. A two-thirds majority in the National Assembly is required for a resolution to remove a judge. The recommendation yesterday followed findings by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), which held that each judge had committed gross misconduct for varying charges. Judge Hlophe’s attorney, Barnabas Xulu, said the decision by the portfolio committee exposed blatant interference in judicial matters by Parliament. “This is the start of the fight. We have a situation where, for the first…

The City of Cape Town has extended the submission deadline for the Woodstock, Salt River, and Surrounds Local Spatial Development Framework (LSDF) to February 15, 2024, as about 130 submissions have been received so far. LSDF is an intervention aimed at revitalising the areas of Woodstock, Salt River, and surrounding areas and making them a place where people want to live and invest long-term. This initiative comes as a response to a growing desire among residents and business owners to see the areas reach their full potential. According to the City, the comment deadline has been running since September 11, and is being extended to allow further input on the draft. It said the process was initiated by community groups in Woodstock who have stayed steadily involved, as this…

Water scarcity remains a challenge at the Robben Island Museum and as a result visitors had to be turned away, the museum told the Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure on Wednesday. The committee held a report-back briefing on the implementation of its recommendations to deal with challenges found during an oversight visit to small harbours on the West Coast, the Cape Town coast and Robben Island. During the committee’s visits earlier this year it established that the majority of government-owned properties were underutilised, neglected, and frequently vandalised by communities. The CEO of the Robben Island Museum, Abigail Thulare, reported that water scarcity remained a challenge on the island and that water had to be ferried from the mainland every two weeks, which had cost implications that museum now…

World-renowned 800m runner Caster Semenya has urged young athletes to speak their minds as they prosper in the sport. Semenya was speaking at the launch of her book, The Race To Be Myself, at Stellenbosch University yesterday. Semenya has been a household name in the athletics fraternity following her two Olympic gold medals and three world championships, along with dozens of Diamond League meets, but Semenya is now telling her truth. The special book launch was the first of several book discussions Semenya would have with fans across the country. In the book, she takes readers behind the scenes into the coming of age of the iconic runner and how her journey has taken her to the pinnacle of the sport. “I have waited a long time to tell my…

The ANC’s cadre deployment strategy, a relic from the Struggle era, has proven detrimental to the development of a competent public service. As a concerned observer who has consistently voiced apprehensions about South Africa’s trajectory, it is disheartening to witness the nation teetering on the brink of self-destruction. The root cause of this impending crisis lies squarely at the feet of the ANC and its antiquated ideologies. My warnings have not fallen on deaf ears, as a recent two-year study by economists at Harvard University echoes my sentiments. The report, titled “Growth Through Inclusion in South Africa”, authored by the Growth Lab at Harvard University dated November 15 is an extensive and detailed look at South Africa’s problems.It declares that the ANC’s reliance on cadre deployment and the blind pursuit…

Bafana Bafana’s naivety in their 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Rwanda on Tuesday beggars belief on so many counts. Just like the Proteas in India a few days ago, Bafana failed to play the conditions at the sub-standard Huye Stadium in Butare, Rwanda. When South Africa arrived at the stadium for the match, the playing surface – an ageing 25-year-old artificial grass pitch – was covered with water. An hour or so earlier, a thunderstorm had occurred, and heavy rain left the pitch, which did not have drainage, waterlogged. It did not occur to the visitors that conditions were unplayable and an objection would have been in order. If the match officials did not agree that conditions were unplayable, South Africa should have played the match under protest. Since…

Ryan Sandes is excitedly looking forward to racing the RMB Ultra-trail Cape Town (RMB UTCT) for the first time in six years. Adding to the South African trail superstar’s excitement ahead of the three-day event starting tomorrow is the fact that RMB UTCT has now been included in the World Trail Majors. “It’s a big weekend and I am really looking forward to it,” Sandes said this week. “I will be racing the 100km, which I last raced back in 2017 and finished second. I would love to go one better. “It is great for South Africa that we are now part of the world majors. And it would be fantastic if I were to win, because it will definitely serve as encouragement to local trail runners for them to…

The recent release of two remixes for Tyla’s global hit single Water, featuring Travis Scott and Marshmello respectively, seems to have inadvertently drawn a wave of interest, and scrutiny, from black Americans around her racial identity. Over the past few days, black Americans and South Africans have been engaged in a heated debate on X about Tyla’s identity as a coloured woman. Given historical racial connotations of the term “coloured” in the US, black Americans have been arguing that they will refer to her as black and have every right to do so. As South Africans fight back in their numbers, local comedian Dillan Oliphant has joined his compatriots in criticising this stance. “Black Americans Refusing To Call Tyla Coloured,” he captioned his post of a video sharing his views.…

A third police raid ended with officers confiscating counterfeit goods worth more than R100 million in Bellville yesterday. The shopkeepers reportedly fled the scene when they spotted the officers at a shop near the taxi rank. The operation was conducted by a multi-disciplinary team made up of the police, Customs officials and brand protectors. Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said: “Efforts to clamp down on the illegal trade of counterfeit goods were rewarded when truckloads of fake clothing, watches, perfumes and other apparel were confiscated during an integrated operation in Bellville yesterday morning. “The multimillion rand take-down operation, between members of the SAPS, Customs and Excise and brand protectors from various popular products kicked off at about 11am with a search warrant at a shopping complex close to the Bellville taxi…

A POLICE constable appeared in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court yesterday for defeating the ends of justice after allegedly helping a suspect escape. Officer Cheslyn Heckrath, 26, stationed at Belhar police station, was arrested on Monday after he allegedly helped a suspect, a University of the Western Cape (UWC) student, escape from police cells in exchange for R1 000. A leaked statement revealed that a suspect, a UWC student, was arrested on Friday on fraud charges. “The suspect managed to escape through the bathroom window. He was re-arrested in the early hours of Saturday morning at UWC. “After investigation, it was found that the suspect allegedly had some assistance in the escape. An SAPS member stationed at Belhar SAPS was arrested on Monday for allegedly aiding and assisting the suspect to…

In a single day, have you had an emotional roller-coaster of mood swings, coupled with crying spells, angry outbursts and anxiety attacks but return to a stable emotional state? Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a physiologic process in women where mood swings are one of the symptoms that influence our emotional, physical and behavioural reactions during menstruation. While PMS may seem like a breeze for some women, it can be unbearable for others. In recent decades, women’s health has seen a rise in interest not just in reproductive processes but in all areas of health. Psychology takes on the role of prevention against the effects of menstrual moods. “Mood” is understood as a background emotion that persists over time. Although moods and emotions share many similarities, they are not the same.…

The rank poor state of football facilities in Africa was again highlighted on Tuesday when Rwanda hosted Bafana Bafana in a 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier at the Huye Stadium in Butare. Last year, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) banned a total of 23 stadiums in 20 African countries because facilities were deemed unfit to host international matches. Earlier this year, CAF inspectors revisited facilities on the continent, and the number of banned stadiums grew to 30. CAF’s inspectors take their lead from guidelines set out by Fifa for football infrastructure. Stadiums are at the core of this objective, and clear recommendations and requirements to meet the needs of football communities are set out when staging matches. After their shocking experience in Rwanda, Bafana coach Hugo Broos again called…

Injuries and stints in Sevens rugby have played a role in Stedman Gans not being a Springbok already. But if he continues with his current form, he could find himself in a green and gold jersey next year. The 26-year-old outside centre appears to have regained the touch that made him a genuine Bok contender in 2020 before he was sidelined for a few months. Gans was one of the stand-outs on the Bulls’ four-match United Rugby Championship tour, and will look to keep showcasing his skills in Saturday’s clash against Connacht at Loftus Versfeld. Kick-off is at 5pm. The former Blitzbok captain has formed an outstanding midfield partnership with David Kriel this season, and puts it down to the groundwork being laid before the start of the campaign. “I…

THE head of the City’s Safety and Security Investigation Unit (SSIU), Reynold Talmakkies, has landed in trouble after he was found to have breached security protocols in the Mitchells Plain Regional Court, where his son is on trial for murder. A shocking judgment handed down this week revealed that a magistrate recused herself from presiding over the case after she was approached and told that he was “heading a certain section of the police department” and that he was the father of the accused. Talmakkies’ son David, along with Garth Lamb, was arrested for the murder of Cape Town rapper Chad du Plessis, who died after he was attacked outside his brother’s house in Strandfontein just after midnight on December 5, 2020. The 22-year-old was about to pull into the…

The City of Cape Town’s Cycling Club has decided to gear up and pedal against period poverty. The men and women, who are all employed within different divisions of the City, made the joint decision after hearing the heart-tugging stories of young ladies and women affected by menstruation struggles. These stories were shared by the founder of #AgainstPeriodPoverty, Lindsay Adams. Regan Bagley, who is the City’s cyclist co-ordinator, said when they heard about Lindsay’s initiative, they knew they had to do something. “This is one of many initiatives we will take pride in. Cycling is not only for our own benefit but can also be used to benefit others. “Like in Lindsay’s case, she really touched us with the stories of the young women affected by period poverty. “On top…

The Stormers are actually in a better position after five rounds of the United Rugby Championship than in the first season, in which they won the title. That kind of scenario is the reason the Capetonians remain positive despite losing three games on their European tour, and they will go into tomorrow’s clash against Cardiff in Wales with a degree of confidence. Kick-off is at 9.35pm, SA time. It has been a close-run thing for John Dobson’s team over the past three weeks, with narrow defeats to Glasgow (20-9), Benetton (20-17) and Munster (10-3), which sees them in ninth position on the log with 12 points. Outside centre Ruhan Nel is adamant that things can change on the scoreboard at Cardiff Arms Park tomorrow after their display in wet conditions…

Nicolas Otamendi scored with a towering header to give Argentina a 1-0 away win over Brazil in a bad-tempered World Cup qualifier that was delayed by half an hour on Tuesday night after police clashed with fans at a sold-out Maracana Stadium. The long-standing sporting rivalry between two of the most successful teams in world football hit fever pitch after the Brazilian police charged Argentinian fans in response to fighting in the stands during the national anthems. The world champions, led by captain Lionel Messi, went over to the terraces to try calm the situation before leaving the pitch and returning to the dressing-room for more than 10 minutes. The players eventually returned, and the match started in a tumult of noise as local fans roared their support of the…

Reviewing South Africa’s 2023 World Cup campaign, it is safe to say that the Temba Bavuma-led unit has been relatively successful. Only three losses in the World Cup, a campaign which saw the Proteas feature in a semi-final, means South Africa enjoyed a fruitful tournament. Going into the World Cup, there were very few who gave them a chance. To be frank, many were banking on the Proteas featuring in World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe as efforts to secure an automatic qualification spot for the 13th edition of the showpiece event looked doomed. The team had suffered an embarrassing series defeat at home to a strong Bangladesh outfit, opponents who had never won a series in South Africa before last year’s tour. Fast bowlers Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam dictated…

Australia’s World Cup winners have been denied a full-scale heroes’ welcome home by a packed cricket schedule that sees them face India today at the start of a T20 series, four days after meeting in the one-day final. The stunning six-wicket victory on Sunday, against previously unbeaten India in front of nearly 100 000 partisan fans in Ahmedabad, saw Australia lift the ODI World Cup for the sixth time. But celebrations had to be scaled back by the demands of the international cricket calendar. Seven members of the triumphant ODI squad will remain for the five-match T20 series, including Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith and Travis Head, who scored a century in the final. That meant a low-key return for the rest of the one-day squad as they flew home in…