Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-12-05 i Cape Argus

Hot on the heels of his Sama win, gqom pioneer Lwazi Asanda Gwala, better known as DJ Lag, recently released his new single Kwenzakalan. The summer banger features South African rap sensation Blxckie and emerging vocalists, Leodaleo and Dezzodigo. “It took us some time to finish the song. We started recording it around June and Blxckie was busy in America and I was also touring, but we thought now would be the perfect time to drop it. “The song is a mash-up of gqom and hip hop that creates a fresh and unique blend of sound. “I was a hip hop producer before I started doing gqom. I just wanted to bring back my old style mixed with gqom and Blxckie and Leo were the perfect combo that I needed…

Described as warm, gentle and kind, former Cape Argus editor Jermaine Craig is being mourned by his family, colleagues and the media fraternity at large following his sudden passing. A family statement said that Craig, who was just 47, collapsed while at gym and was rushed to the Mediclinic Sandton Hospital where efforts to revive him failed. The family requested privacy during this time and prayers for his wife Michelle, sons Matthew and Christian, his mother and the rest of his family. Craig worked at South African Tourism and was part of the SA 2010 Fifa World Cup organising committee. He was born in Cape Town and attended Salt River High School. Former Cape Argus editor and current UWC media and marketing head Gasant Abarder said Craig was two…

The Constitutional Court has ruled that the Immigration Act was inconsistent with the Constitution and infringed on a foreign national’s right to human dignity. Chief Justice Raymond Zondo handed down judgment yesterday. According to the act, foreign parents or caregivers, even if they work in South Africa, had to stop working and leave the country if they ended their relationship with their spouse, which resulted in them leaving their South African-born children, sometimes without care or financial support. The matter was brought to the Apex Court by parents Tereza Rayment and Richard Anderson, who were both foreigners split from their South African partners. They were both granted a spousal visa in terms of Section 11(6) of the act and had been residing and working in South Africa. However, since their…

As we enter what is meant to be a jolly and peaceful season, during which we should focus on giving and being forgiving, I will try not to spoil it for everyone, including myself, by dedicating my festive season columns to the ill informed, pig-headed, arrogant know-it-alls whose job descriptions include the words “addressing homelessness”, at City and provincial level. We all need a break from having to deal with situations where a provincial department, without any discussion or consultation, for a third time in three years changes its mind on what to do with the funds it has been allocated and accumulated since its 2021 decision to fund its first new (since 1994) and much-needed mega shelter and service centre for those living on the streets of the CBD…

GREEK artefacts and marbles languish in a dark corner of a British museum. Lord Elgin, a consummate opportunist, rogue and bandit, took that which was not his, returning his ill-gotten gains to Mother England. Times have, however, changed, with many civilised societies attempting to do the right thing. Here is a golden opportunity for the current British prime minister to show the world that as a world leader, he is prepared to return all the stolen items to the rightful owners: the Greek people. These inanimate objects deserve to be displayed under the magnificent Mediterranean sun, alongside the incredible works of art and architecture from centuries ago. It is incumbent on the British people, the British Monarchy and the current government to step up and do the right thing. Greek…

In recEnt years, South Africa has witnessed a disturbing trend – the weaponisation of discredited intelligence reports to settle political scores and undermine state institutions. The reports, often lacking in credibility and substance, have been used to sow discord, tarnish reputations and advance personal agendas. The latest target of the insidious tactic is the judiciary, an institution that has played a pivotal role in upholding the country’s Constitution and safeguarding democracy. The recent circulation of a so-called “intelligence report” on judicial corruption is a blatant attempt to discredit the judiciary and weaken its independence. The report, purportedly authored by the State Security Agency (SSA), has been condemned as a fabrication by the SSA itself. However, its mere existence has served to fuel a narrative of judicial impropriety, casting a shadow…

Marawi: A Philippine military commander said yesterday that a massive manhunt was under way for the assailants who bombed a Catholic mass in the country’s restive south, killing four worshippers and wounding50 others. The blast, claimed by Islamic State, was on Sunday at Mindanao State University’s gymnasium in Marawi, the country’s largest Muslim city, besieged by Islamist militant groups in 2017. Security officials say the bombing may have been a retaliatory attack for a series of military operations against Islamist militants in recent days that killed multiple fighters. | AFP…

Rising from the dead is an art newly perfected by the Blitzboks, who recovered from a tough season in which they won only 12 of 30 matches to nail six out of six in Dubai at the weekend. Their timing couldn’t have been better because the Blitzboks have now gone from pariahs to the hottest ticket in town – just in time for this week’s Cape Town Sevens. A key in turning it around was the decision of head coach Sandile Ngcobo to bring through younger talent. One of them was Masande Mtshali. The 20-year-old scored his first try in a Blitzbok jersey on Saturday night. The Blitzboks are well-known for mobbing a player when he scores his first try, but for Mtshali, it was different as he seemed oblivious…

A stabbing incident in the early hours of Sunday morning ended with a 7-year-old girl shot in the stomach. According to police, a 15-year-old boy was stabbed in Ottery and the fight spilled over into the afternoon when a retired officer and his son were attacked by alleged gang members. A shooting started and little Kiara Hendricks, 7, a Grade 1 learner at the Crystal House, was shot in the stomach. She was playing with her friends at Hoogenoeg Court, Ottery, when the stray bullet struck her. Her brother Craig Hammond said: “She managed to get home by herself. I saw blood on her arm. When I asked she told me that it was from her stomach. I carried her from the stairs and then to the lounge. “We drove…

Build One South Africa (Bosa) has welcomed the Constitutional Court’s ruling that 1 000 signatures of registered voters were required for independent candidates and new entrants to contest next year’s national and provincial elections. Headed by party leader Mmusi Maimane, Bosa approached the apex court challenging the requirement that independent candidates had to get the signatures of 15% of the quota in the previous election in the relevant region. Bosa argued that the signature requirement was unreasonably high, as it set out to “demonstrate that the 15% signature requirement is arbitrary and poses a barrier to entry for independent candidates”. “We welcome the decision by the court to remedy the act by reading in a clause that independent candidates and new entrants only require 1 000 signatures to contest elections,”…

The Israeli killings and bombings of women, children and babies in Palestine show that moral force is of little importance. More than 6 million Jewish people were killed in World War II. Gandhi said only through pain and suffering do we understand what tolerance and understanding is. The present-day Israeli government has no compassion or tolerance for human beings. The Oslo Agreements have been violated time and again by right-wing Israeli governments. Israelis, protected by the Israel Defence Forces, enter Palestinian territory and occupy Palestinian land in Gaza and the West Bank. An independent State of Palestine is just a dream. The Western powers that have much influence regarding Israeli policy are deaf to the cry and suffering of Palestinian people. They did the same when the South African…

LIKE an excitable, aggressive, toothless hound, Bra Mbaks has called for the immediate arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Yes, Bra Fix had an audience as he attempted to convince them in an elevated voice that the government he serves has some relevance on the international stage. Well, his audience did not care less, and neither does anyone else. Bra Fix, while you call for Netanyahu’s arrest, why did you not arrest Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese criminal president, when he visited South Africa? The goose and the gander seem to have flown over your head, my Bra, so do try and avoid double standards. They do not serve you or your government well.…

For a few weeks this year, villagers in the south-western Indian state of Karnataka read out dozens of sentences in their native Kannada language into an app as part of a project to build the country’s first AI-based chatbot for TB. There are more than 40 million native Kannada speakers in India, and it is one of the country’s 22 official languages and one of more than 121 languages spoken by 10 000 people or more in the world’s most populous nation. But few of the languages are covered by natural language processing (NLP), the branch of artificial intelligence (AI) that enables computers to understand text and spoken words. Hundreds of millions of Indians are thus excluded from useful information and many economic opportunities. “For AI tools to work for…

Dozens of Israeli tanks rolled into southern Gaza yesterday, witnesses said, despite global concern over mounting civilian deaths and fears the war on Hamas will spread elsewhere in the Middle East. Weeks after Israel sent ground forces into northern Gaza, the army has been air-dropping leaflets in parts of the besieged territory’s south, telling Palestinians to flee to other areas. Tanks, armoured personnel carriers and bulldozers were seen yesterday near the city of Khan Yunis, which is crowded with internally displaced Palestinians, witnesses said. Amin Abu Hawli, 59, said the Israeli vehicles were 2km inside Gaza in the village of al-Qarara, while Moaz Mohammed, 34, said Israeli tanks were moving down the strip’s main north-south highway, the Salah al-Din road. The military was trying to cut the road between Deir…

Washington: The White House budget chief warned the US Congress yesterday that failure to agree fresh funds for Ukraine by the end of the year would “kneecap” Kyiv on the battlefield. In a letter to the House Speaker, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Shalanda Young, said time was rapidly running out to support Ukraine’s fight against the Russian invasion. President Joe Biden asked Congress in October to approve $106 billion (about R1.9 trillion) in national security funding, including support for Ukraine and for Israel’s war against Hamas. | AFP…

The Proteas have selected a trio of exciting fresh talents in Tristan Stubbs, Nandre Burger and David Bedingham in the Test squad to face India later this month, while Temba Bavuma and fast bowler Kagiso Rabada will play no part in both white-ball series. Stubbs, Burger and Bedingham are all uncapped at Test level. Western Province captain and wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne’s brilliant domestic form has also earned him a recall to the Test squad at Heinrich Klaasen’s expense. “It is the start of a new ICC World Test Championship cycle and that itself is a huge incentive for everyone,” said Proteas Test coach Shukri Conrad. “The playing field is level and we want to try and ensure we make a strong start to this sequence here at home against one…

The ‘original Soweto derby’ will headline the return of Premiership action after a weekend of thrilling cup action. Orlando Pirates and Moroka Swallows will battle for bragging rights at the Orlando Stadium at 7.30 tonight. The Buccaneers’ dominance over this league fixture in recent years has seen them go nearly a decade without suffering defeat at the hands of the Dube Birds. Pirates’ emphatic 4-1 win the last time these two teams met saw them extend their unbeaten record in this age-old duel to seven league games, with their last defeat in the fixture dating back to August 2014. Pirate head coach Jose Riveiro has seen a resurgence from his side recently, picking up seven of the nine points available in their past three outings, a run that includes a…

TWO brave boys have been hailed as heroes for coming to the rescue of a battered kitty that was being tortured by older boys. Animal lovers across Cape Town came out on social media this weekend to praise the efforts of best friends Thakier Boltman and Mozevern van Belling, from Manenberg, who walked more than 3km through Philippi to seek assistance from Animal Welfare of Society of SA for the injured animal. Thakier, 10, said they were playing outside when they witnessed four boys violently tossing and strangling the cat. The Grade 3 learner from Downeville Primary School said he knew he had to do something. “They were holding the cat by the neck and throwing it to one another. I knew we had to do something and so we…

ONCE again the dreaded “K” word was uttered, this time by a Grade 9 learner from Hoërskool Ben Vorster. Such unacceptable behaviour is a painful reminder that racism continues to rear its head in every corner of our prejudiced planet. It is often said legal prohibitions on racist behaviour cannot eliminate the attitudes that underlie it. During times like these, we must be especially vigilant in combating the age-old viruses of hate and prejudice, which reassert themselves throughout history in times of fear. The deleterious effect of prejudice and racism on the masses is well documented. There is little doubt as to how insidious racism is and that it permeates every facet of our lives. Racism is the under-appreciated human rights problem of our day. There is something particularly…

The government is at it again – still dishing out billions of rand left, right and centre to SOEs that have run into the ground. This is ironic because the very same government is telling citizens to tighten their belts. What an insult! The latest entity to benefit is Transnet, to assist it to achieve its “turnaround plans”. But this is patent nonsense. These SOEs are forever “turning around” with no positive results. Pure logic demands that when an entity has been given a bailout, its management/board must account and take responsibility when, the next time around, they ask for more. This ploy – to run entities into the ground and then blackmail SA that if they don’t get a financial lifeline the country will collapse – is exactly what…

Known as Movember around the world, November is the month in which we raise awareness for male mental health, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer. Now, as we’ve come to the end of Movember, it is important to note that Africa has the highest rates of suicide globally. While more women are diagnosed with depression and anxiety, more men die from suicide than women. Africa also has the highest male suicide rate of 18 per 100 000 people, while the female suicide rate is 5.2 per 100 000. The global suicide rates for men are 12.6 per 100 000 people and 5.4 per 100 000 for women. About 79% of all suicides in South Africa are committed by men. Society needs to do better and that starts…

JAKARTA: Eleven climbers were found dead in Indonesia yesterday and 12 were missing after the Marapi volcano erupted in West Sumatra, a rescue official said, as search operations – which were halted over safety concerns – resumed. Three survivors were found yesterday along with the bodies of the 11 climbers, out of 75 who were in the area at the time of Sunday’s eruption. There were 49 climbers evacuated from the area earlier yesterday and many were being treated for burns. It took around four to six hours to evacuate one dead body from the volcano. The 2 891m high volcano spewed ash 3km into the sky on Sunday. | Reuters…

BHOPAL: Indian tests of a cough syrup linked to the deaths of at least six children in Cameroon found unidentified quality issues in one of five samples. Riemann Labs is one of three Indian drugmakers whose cough syrups have been linked to the deaths of at least 141 children in Gambia, Uzbekistan and Cameroon since the middle of last year. Indian authorities suspended Riemann’s production, citing violations of good manufacturing practices. An inspection at Riemann’s factory in June had found violations including improper ventilation, raising the risk of cross contamination, sources said. | Reuters…