Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-02-23 i Cape Argus

THE Council for Geoscience (CGS) confirmed a light magnitude 3.49 earthquake occurred off the West Coast this week. This comes as the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) also reported the quake, about 76km West of Cape Town at a shallow depth of 10km. CGS spokesperson Mahlatse Mononela confirmed the quake occurred on Wednesday at around 4.14pm. “The preliminary results show that the earthquake registered a local magnitude of approximately 3.49, as recorded by the South African Seismograph Network (SANSN). “The epicentre was located approximately 20km west of Dassen Island in the Atlantic Ocean,” Mononela. The public has been encouraged to record their experience using the available online questionnaire, however, it was expected that the quake was not felt by many people. In 2020, Cape Town experienced a tremor on November 17,…

MORE than 100 police officers from Pretoria are headed to the Western Cape next week to help quell violent crime in the province. Outlining the 2023/24 third quarter crime statistics yesterday, provincial police commissioner Thembisile Patekile said the team’s focus areas would be Gugulethu and Manenberg, which recorded increases in serious crimes. Gugulethu reported an increase of 23 murders, with 73 people murdered between October and December 2023. Manenberg climbed from 23 to 35 murders in the same period. Delft, which was the murder capital in the previous quarter, reported a decrease of 18 murders as 68 people were killed. Sexual offences decreased by 4.9% and robbery with aggravating circumstances increased by 14.3%. “As an immediate response to the Western Cape crime statistics released, through our head office in Pretoria,…

Lotteries fraud leads to Kimberley LAPTOPS and documents were some of the items seized when the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the Hawks pounced on an accounting firm in the Northern Cape province’s capital city of Kimberley this week. The law enforcement agencies raided the firm in search of evidence to assist them with the ongoing R1.4 billion investigation involving the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) after a tip-off. The SIU said that the raid came after a whistle-blower suggested that certain accounting firms and accountants were allegedly engaged in criminal activities by aiding non-profit organisations (NPOs) and non-profit companies (NPCs) in preparing and producing fraudulent financial statements. The statements were meant to be submitted to the NLC in support of their application for grant funding. SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said…

DESPITE the allocation of more than R100 million a year for clean-up efforts, illegal dumping continued to pose a significant challenge in many neighbourhoods across Cape Town. This comes as the City’s urban waste directorate urged residents to organise once-off community clean-up events. The City said illegal dumping hot spots were used regularly by surrounding communities as well as opportunistic dumpers. Among the hot spot areas were parts of Dunoon, Wallacedene, Elsies River, Atlantis Industrial Area, Wynberg, Retreat, Parkwood, Vrygrond, Muizenberg, Strandfontein Road, Eerste River, Blackheath, Blue Downs, Kalkfontein, Wesbank, Kuils River, Duinefontein Road, Old Lansdowne Road, Swartklip Road, Philippi East, Eisleben Road and AZ Berman Road in Mitchells Plain. The City said that almost as soon as sites were cleared, a new round of dumping occurred. Urban waste management…

THE Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe into the R1.4 billion National Lotteries Commission (NLC) case has opened a can of worms for actress Terry Pheto and her designer friend Thula Sindi. The two are the subject of an investigation after they were allegedly involved in the misappropriation of a R5 million grant that was meant to develop a chicken farm to benefit local communities. It now appears that Pheto, along with her sister Dimakatso, allegedly also procured the farm in the Vaal area fraudulently despite having allegedly embezzled the funds they used. Last week, Cape Argus sister paper The Star reported that the SIU was at the tail end of the overall investigation that implicated the trio. The three are now being accused by the previous owner of…

After an extended break, where he could mentally and physically rest and recharge in Europe, Stormers utility back Damian Willemse is ready to hit the ground running as his team tackle the business end of their season. The double World Cup winner will have a fiery test immediately, with his first match back after his Springbok- mandated rest being against the Bulls in the famous north-south derby next week Saturday. Willemse is well-prepared for the United Rugby Championship clash at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria because while on holiday, he experienced a week of top-class training at the highly acclaimed Red Bull Athlete Performance Center (APC) in Thalgau, Austria. The APC has been the training home for international sports stars like England cricket captain Ben Stokes and Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold. Willemse…

Banyana Banyana (54) and Tanzania (152) are so far apart on the latest Fifa Women’s world rankings that their clash in Dar es Salaam this afternoon (3pm kick-off, SA time) could justifiably be the ultimate David versus Goliath encounter. Banyana are the reigning African champions who beat the odds to progress to the last 16 of the Women’s World Cup last year after a thrilling 3-2 win over Italy. But as with the recent Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, world rankings count for nothing in tournaments – and Banyana Banyana will attest to this. In September 2019, South Africa, the 2018 Wafcon finalists, were hot favourites along with Nigeria to claim the two African slots at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. But Banyana crashed out in the third…

WITH leaders Liverpool otherwise engaged this weekend, Manchester City and Arsenal have the chance to close the gap in what is brewing to be the closest Premier League title race for years. Jurgen Klopp’s side hit back to beat Luton Town 4-1 on Wednesday night with Liverpool’s goals, all in the second half, coming from Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz and Harvey Elliott to stretch their lead to four points as they turn their attention to Sunday’s League Cup final against Chelsea. Champions City, who, like Arsenal, have played 25 games to Liverpool’s 26, head to Bournemouth tomorrow evening, before Arsenal then try to settle some scores with Newcastle United. Liverpool have 60 points, with City on 56 and Arsenal 55, with all three sides knowing that the…

He WAS a colossus himself in the second row for club and country, and now Andries Bekker believes he has another special prodigy at the Bulls. Bekker, now 40 and back in South Africa after playing and coaching in Japan at the Kobe Steelers, was somewhat ahead of his time as a No 5 lock for Western Province, the Stormers and Springboks. While the 2.08m giant was outstanding in the line-outs, he was also a superb ball carrier who ran excellent lines and got stuck in when it got physical as well. Now he may have someone similar on his hands at Loftus Versfeld in the shape of young second-rower Reinhardt Ludwig. The 21-year-old has emerged from junior rugby with aplomb, dovetailing between No 4 and No 5 lock, and…

Having talent, skills, the X-factor and determination will always help any rugby player to reach the top, but having a mentor of the calibre of Jaque Fourie to call on when you need to further up your game is surely a spell of dark magic that should not be allowed. It is a big cheat-code that could give you just that extra little bit, which pushes you to reach your end goal. And yet that is exactly what Henco van Wyk can do when he finds himself with questions about his game, turning to the illustrious former Springbok whom he also shares the experience of the No 13 jumper with. “Jaque (is) working with us as a group or individually,” Van Wyk said of the Lions defence coach at Hoërskool…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on traditional leaders to allow free political activity in their areas during the election campaigns. South Africa will go to the polls on May 29 after the president announced the date this week. Ramaphosa said politicians would be campaigning in various parts of the country and traditional leaders should allow them to campaign when they come into their villages. The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) said more than 68 000 staff will be manning thousands of voting stations for one of the most hotly contested elections since the dawn of democracy in 1994. Ramaphosa announced the election date this week. Yesterday, he addressed the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San leaders in Parliament, where he raised the issue of the elections. “On May…

FORMER president Jacob Zuma recently shifted his election campaign into high gear by accusing his successor, President Cyril Ramaphosa, of buying his presidency. Zuma further accused Ramaphosa of selling out his comrades to the highest bidder, while he also said Ramaphosa and some of those in his Cabinet were never in the Struggle. In December last year, Zuma, the former president of the ANC, washed his hands of his beloved party, vowing not to campaign for it, instead pledging allegiance to the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party. Zuma, speaking in Zulu in a video that went viral on social media during one of his MK campaign trails in uMlazi, outside Durban, also said he did not know the ANC that existed in recent years and called it “Ramaphosa’s ANC”.…

Remains of two SA soldiers killed in DRC repatriated The bodies of two SANDF members killed by a mortar bomb explosion in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) arrived in Pretoria this week. The remains of Captain Simon Mkhulu Bobe and Lance Corporal Irven Thabang Semonowere were returned during a handover ceremony involving their uniformed colleagues at Air Force Base Waterkloof, Pretoria, on Wednesday. Following a short prayer service, their flag-draped caskets were carried to vehicles on standby while military staff saluted the short procession. The pair lost their lives as a result of a mortar bomb blast at the South African military base in the DRC on February 14. They were attached to 1 South African Infantry Battalion, and deployed with 2 South African Infantry Battalion when they were…

Stellenbosch FC will hope to continue their good form when they kick off their Nedbank Cup journey against Pretoria Callies tonight (7pm) in the Cape Winelands. The round-of-32 fixture will mark Stellenbosch’s first home game for the season and the ambitious club will be looking to improve on last season’s dramatic run, which included a win over defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns. Their impressive campaign saw coach Steve Barker’s team reaching the semi-finals, and they narrowly missed out on a spot in the final following a penalty shoot-out defeat to Sekhukhune United. National First Division outfit Callies – one of the oldest clubs in the country, having been formed in 1898 – have also reached a Nedbank Cup semi- final, but lost 1-0 to Chippa United in 2021. At the end…

Cape Town Spurs’ Nedbank Cup exit might be a blessing in disguise ahead of their push to avert the threat of relegation. Spurs suffered a 1-0 defeat in their round-of-32 clash against the University of Pretoria on Wednesday evening at the Tuks Stadium. Tuks scored via a Delano Abrahams penalty in the 37th minute. Spurs’ German coach Ernst Middendorp, who forever looks like he has the weight of the world resting on their shoulders, said bowing out of the Nedbank Cup competition will give his side a 12-day break to prepare for the coming matches against TS Galaxy (March 3) and Orlando Pirates (March 6). Middendorp felt his side’s performance was an anti-climax after their fine display last weekend, when they defeated AmaZulu 3-1. “We needed to show more energy…

The Blitzboks will put all their efforts into the first game of the Canada Sevens in Vancouver against New Zealand and not look any further than tonight’s game (11.52pm kick-off, SA time). It could be a tournament-defining start in what is the ‘group of death’ that also has Ireland and Great Britain waiting on the Springbok Sevens if they are to make it to another quarter-final. The Blitzboks are the most successful side in Canada with three titles, and with the All Black Sevens hot on their heels (they’ve won two), they can strike an early warning with a victory over their rivals. The match will mark the start of the Vancouver tournament and should test captain Selvyn Davids and his men in all aspects of their game. While the…