Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-02-16 i Cape Argus

MATTHEW Mole is gearing up to steal the show at the popular Summer Sunset Concert in Kirstenbosch this weekend. The gathering is the perfect celebration of music, summer and good vibes, with the breathtaking Table Mountain as the backdrop for the concert. The acclaimed musician made waves back in 2014 by becoming the first local artist to rock the South African iTunes charts with his debut album The Home We Built. Mole repeated this impressive feat with Run, in 2016. And in 2019, he unleashed yet another album, Ghost, followed by a string of singles in 2020. This includes the smash hit Keep it Together, which snagged him the Record of the Year award at the 2021 South African Music Awards. Fast-forward to late 2023, and Mole dropped his fourth…

The family of the American tourist who was stabbed to death at a backpackers in Green Point are asking for donations to repatriate his body. Phillips Allen-Bakare, 23, was killed a week ago in Atlantic Point backpackers, allegedly by his roommate. He was in the country, initially, with a church group but when they left he decided to remain in Cape Town for a few more days. On Friday, an argument in the kitchen of the backpackers ended with Bakare being stabbed three times with a kitchen knife. Gedeon Tshimowa, 27, was arrested on Friday and appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Monday on a murder charge. The two had been staying together at the house on Calvacade Street in Green Point. It is unclear how long the…

The South African National Defence Union (Sandu) called on the South African government and SANDF leadership to prioritise the safety and well-being of troops deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This comes after two SANDF soldiers were killed on Wednesday and three others injured when a mortar bomb landed inside one of the South African military bases in the DRC. The SANDF said the soldiers were deployed to support and assist the government of DRC in its effort to bring peace, security and stability in that region. On Tuesday President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the deployment of 2 900 soldiers to the eastern DRC as part of the SADC mission. The union extended its condolences to the families, colleagues and loved ones of the fallen soldiers. “Our…

THE City of Cape Town’s R120 billion 10-year pipeline project is on track, the City’s latest annual infrastructure report confirms. This means the metro’s infrastructure investments are set to dwarf those of other cities. According to the tabled 2023/24 capital budgets for South Africa’s metros, Cape Town will invest more in infrastructure than Johannesburg and Durban combined over the three-year medium-term budget framework (23/24–25/26), with a 91,2% larger capital budget than Joburg (R43.2bn v R22.6bn) and a 116.9% larger budget than eThekwini (R19.9bn). Water and sanitation investments now make up 42% of Cape Town’s R120 billion 10-year pipeline project, with multi-billion-rand upgrades to seven wastewater works on track. Launching the report, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said: “We are future-proofing our city by investing in infrastructure at a rate far outpacing any…

THE Stormers had some gremlins in their arsenal to iron out over the last three weeks as the United Rugby Championship took a break. When they take on the Sharks tomorrow (5.05pm kick-off) in Durban, head coach John Dobson will hope his side have managed to do that in their recent practice games. Here are five areas where they’ll have to be better after the last coastal derby in Cape Town ended in a nail-biter … Breakdown battle This is Dobson’s baby and it’s an ailment in their game that has been setting them back for a fair few games. It’s not just in the URC, but also in the Champions Cup where they struggled for quality front-foot ball possession to ignite their slumbering attack. Dobson took responsibility for the…

Manchester United’s squad for the 2022/23 season was the most expensive ever assembled in Europe, according to a report released by governing body Uefa. The European Club Finance and Investment Landscape report said United spent just over €1.42 billion on last season’s squad, surpassing the previous mark of €1.33bn spent by Real Madrid in 2020. Erik ten Hag’s squad at the end of last season included big-money transfers Antony, Harry Maguire, Jadon Sancho and Casemiro. United’s rivals Manchester City were second for the season, with a squad value of €1.286bn. The report, released on Wednesday, added that Real Madrid (€841m), Manchester City (€836m), Barcelona (€815m) and Paris St Germain (€807m) had the highest revenues in 2022. The Premier League had nine teams among the top 20 earning clubs, with an…

From the moment David Bedingham took to the field in his first Test, on Boxing Day in Centurion, he has looked the part. Bedingham played his shots at will at SuperSport Park and completed a sparkling maiden half-century in his first innings in the Proteas whites. Yesterday, Bedingham took to the middle at Seddon Park in Hamilton and expertly executed his attacking style of play as he brought up a maiden ton in only his fourth match, as South Africa fought back in the second Test against New Zealand. The Kiwis ended day three on 40-1, needing another 227 runs to win after the Proteas scored 235 in their second innings yesterday. Given the long journey that Bedingham took to break into the Proteas Test side, which saw the 29-year-old…

CONVICTED wife killer Abdul Salaam has been sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for stabbing his wife, Miché Samuels, to death in full view of the couple’s minor daughter. Abdul, 41, returned to the Western Cape High Court yesterday after he was found guilty of murder on Wednesday and pleaded for a lighter sentence. In a marathon trial, he was found guilty of murdering his wife as she sat behind the wheel of her car on March 4, 2021. The murder scene on Ottery Road caused a stir as motorists chased after Abdul, who ran away leaving his one-year-old daughter in the car next to her mother’s body. It was subsequently discovered that the couple had been going through a divorce. The father of four pleaded not guilty to the murder…

President Cyril Ramaphosa says he will stick to his commitment to announce the election date within 15 days. He said he was within the deadline he set for himself. Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said on February 7 that the president was planning to announce the election date within 15 days. Yesterday, the president again said that he would to stick to his deadline of 15 days before announcing the election date. Political parties have been calling for Ramaphosa to make the announcement as soon as possible. The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has said it will deploy 68 000 staff members to work in 23 000 voting stations on election day. This year’s elections will see more than 350 parties taking part in the voting. Ramaphosa was…

JOB SEEKERS wanting to get to their interviews are getting a free ride. The Western Cape government yesterday launched a pilot project to give job seekers, heading to interviews, free travel vouchers on Golden Arrow buses. The launch of the ‘Getting YOU to Work’, pilot project took place with Premier Alan Winde and Mobility MEC Ricardo Mackenzie, at the Kismet Building in Athlone, yesterday. Winde and Mackenzie joined several interview candidates for their first trip using the transport voucher which is in the form of a Golden Arrow gold bus card. Interview candidate Latita Memani from Langa, now residing in the Cape Town CBD, said: “It’s very difficult to go to interviews without transport, knowing that you don't even know if you’ll be taken or be rejected. “So it's a…

Thembinkosi Lorch will wear his heart on his sleeve for Mamelodi Sundowns when they face his former club Orlando Pirates tomorrow night. After spending eight years at Pirates, Lorch jumped ship during the January transfer window, joining the Brazilians’ camp. It was a move that broke the hearts of ‘The Ghost’ as they had warmed up to Lorch over the years, after he transitioned from a teenager to a man and father in front of them. But nonetheless, Lorch was also welcomed with open arms at his new club, with the ‘Yellow Nation’ believing that they’ll continue to be unstoppable. The Brazilians have been the team to beat in local football for the last six years, thanks to their six successive league titles. And with the seventh championship already looking…

A STELLENBOSCH FC side currently on an upward curve is set to lead the Western Cape charge in the second half of the DStv Premiership season. Stellies were among the wonders of the opening round of the 2023/24 campaign, as they went on a run that culminated in cup success, as well as several national team call-ups for individuals. The current holders of the Carling Knockout Cup welcomed Bafana Bafana star Jayden Adams back into their ranks yesterday, ahead of their first outing this year. The club also announced yesterday that stalwart Fawaaz Basadien has committed his future to the Maroons after signing a new long-term contract. The Cape Winelands-based club will make the trip to Pretoria to take on a team they deem direct rivals for their CAF aspirations…

Rafael Nadal was forced to shelve his plans to return to action at next week’s Qatar Open, admitting he is “not ready to compete”. The 37-year-old missed most of last year with a hip injury sustained at the Australian Open before making his comeback at last month’s Brisbane International. However, a small muscle tear then forced the 37-year-old to pull out of this season’s first Grand Slam in Melbourne. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner now hopes to return to the tour at the Indian Wells Masters in California from March 6-17. “I would have loved to play in Doha, where the tournament team, as well as the amazing Qatar fans have always supported me greatly,” Nadal said in a statement on X. “Unfortunately I am not ready to compete,…

Slain activist Loyiso Nkohla-Mabandla’s wife said the two murder accused who will apply for bail next month are “just wasting the State’s time”. Yesterday, Zukile Tshabile, Mziyanda Mdlungu and Mzubanzi Chulayo appeared for the first time together in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court. The Hawks arrested Tshabile in October, months after Nkohla was gunned down in April last year. The alleged killers left other people injured, including former ward councillor Thembinkosi Pupa and a pregnant woman. In November, Mdlungu was tracked down in Gauteng, while Chulayo was apprehended in Peddie, Eastern Cape. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said: “The three are facing premeditated murder, attempted murder, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition charges.” Yesterday, Tshabile said through his Legal Aid representative that he will not apply for bail, while…

As THE Special Investigating Unit (SIU) draws closer to concluding its extensive probe into the alleged endemic corruption and grand-scale looting of money within the National Lotteries Commission (NLC), the NLC said yesterday that the SIU probe had excavated the deep extent of the rot. In a report tabled before Parliament’s trade and industry portfolio committee on Wednesday, the SIU said that it was on the verge of solving the R1.4 billion case of alleged corruption linked to the NLC. The SIU has completed 90% of phase two of the work, which followed the paper trail on how the NLC lost the R1.4bn. High-profile people implicated in the SIU probe include popular actress Moitheri “Terry” Pheto, star of Tsotsi, her sister Dimakatso and her fashion designer friend Thula Sindi. Reacting…

MORE than a hundred refugees residing along Robert Sobukwe Road in Bellville say they are still waiting for the City to assist them with accommodation. The group, consisting of mostly women and children, were evicted from Paint City refugee camp in October 2023 after they resisted a militia-like faction that had taken charge of the camp. The refugees have been sleeping in improvised tents constructed out of cardboard boxes and other materials they found in the vicinity for the last four months. They rely on handouts and any food they can find to get by during the day. Matthew Sabiti, a spokesperson for the refugees, said they met with City officials on January 29 to discuss alternative accommodation. “In the meeting, we were told they are going to take us…

MUGGINGS on Table Mountain prompted activists to demand more rangers within the national park that is home to the international landmark. Now the online petition by Friends of Table Mountain (FTOM) has had more than 11 000 signatures. The organisation’s chairperson, Andy Davies, said: “We had to line it up with the opening of Parliament and also we know that crime is subsiding and there’s not much attention on crime, at the moment. “The petition is intended for Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy, we officially invited her. “She didn’t come so we are going to send it via email.” Davies said the number of muggings has decreased. “In the last three months of 2023, we saw muggings every day that galvanised the various law enforcement agencies…

Bruce Bvuma is eager to continue with his fine exploits for Kaizer Chiefs in goal, and repay the faith that the club has shown in him after signing a new contract. Bvuma, fellow goalkeeper Brandon Petersen and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo were all handed two-year contracts, plus a one-year option, by the Ama- khosi recently. For Bvuma, that must have brought a huge sigh of relief, given that for the better part of the previous seasons and first half of the current campaign, he has played third fiddle. Petersen had become the club’s first-choice keeper in recent seasons, with club legend Itumeleng Khune his deputy, when fully fit. But that changed towards the end of the first half of this season. Petersen became too erratic, and was subsequently replaced by Khune in…

Chelsea’s revival faces the ultimate test tomorrow when Mauricio Pochettino’s team attempts to put the brakes on Manchester City’s express train. Two late goals earned the London side a 3-1 victory at Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Monday to back up a superb 3-1 win over Aston Villa in an FA Cup fourth-round replay. Chelsea remained in 10th place, 20 points behind leaders Liverpool and 18 adrift of champions City, but those two results have changed the mood at Stamford Bridge. Pochettino was coming under increasing fire as he struggled to blend a youthful but hugely expensive squad. A 4-1 drubbing at Liverpool at the end of last month was stark evidence of how far Chelsea are from challenging at the top of the table, but they may…

The first day of the only Test between the Proteas Women and Australia at the Waca ground in Perth did not go according to plan for the visiting side yesterday. The South Africans lost all 10 wickets inside 32 overs for only 76 runs, their lowest innings total in the longest format of the game. Only two batters in the playing XI reached double figures, Sune Luus (26) and Masabata Klaas (10), as right-arm quick Darcie Brown (5-21) dominated the South African batting order and picked up her maiden Test five-wicket haul for Australia. The hosts then reached 251-5 at stumps, with Alyssa Healy being dismissed for 99 late in the day. Klaas, the second-highest scorer on day one for South Africa, told the media that the South African batters…

The Western Cape will showcase some of its upcoming mixed martial arts talent when a handful of amateur athletes descend upon the Elite MMA gym in Melkbosstrand this weekend. In its fourth instalment, the Cape Town Grassroots event will take place tomorrow. It is a platform created for inexperienced and up-and-coming MMA athletes to gain the necessary mileage to compete at higher levels of amateur competition (national and world championships) before transitioning to the professional scene. Tomorrow, 14 athletes will gauge their skill set, heart and MMA IQ. Following Mixed Martial Arts South Africa protocols, the Grassroots events technically cater to amateur athletes with four or fewer fights. Athletes with five or more bouts can compete at promotional-level events such as the PFC, PPC, Versus and ACE. Once an athlete…