Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-03-08 i Cape Argus

WITH the Cape Town Cycle Tour pedalling into the Mother City this weekend, over 30 spots along the route have been prepared for spectators. Come Sunday, cyclists will put pedal to the metal in the annual sporting event – the largest-timed cycle event in the world, with viewing spots including Mostert’s Mill off Rhodes Avenue (M3), Edinburgh Drive (M3 Wynberg Park), Ladies Mile, Steenberg Road, Bay Road in Muizenberg, Jubilee Square in Simon’s Town, Noordhoek Farm Village, Hout Bay CBD, Camp’s Bay Main Road and the Sea Point Promenade. The City has also reminded residents and motorists that roads in and around the City Bowl, the Cape Town Stadium and Southern Suburbs will be affected. These include Helen Suzman Boulevard from Beach Road to Traffic Circle, which will be closed…

THE five nurses who were suspended on Monday at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital for alleged gross negligence were seen in a video ignoring a distressed patient, who later died. The Gauteng Department of Health announced on Wednesday that the five, who were believed to be on duty, were put on precautionary suspension. This after a video shot by a member of the public who had been at the hospital on February 25 showed the nurses going about their private business while the 28-year-old patient, believed to have an acute chronic illness, was in distress. The video was not shared, but it can be reliably revealed that it shows the patient sitting on the floor while waiting for the doctor to attend to him, calling out in distress, while a…

International technical assistance offered to the City for its net zero carbon, solar and energy sustainability plans have been approved. The City said that it established a relationship with the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit and was currently receiving its support in the form of an embedded generation adviser and seconded project managers who supported the implementation through the C40 Climate Finance Facility. The C40 projects include the Green Infrastructure and Improved Catchment Management project, the Paardevlei Solar Farm, and Net Zero Carbon Municipal Buildings project. The City said its energy directorate also engaged the German Development Bank (KfW) regarding technical assistance support to the City’s Power Utility Reform programme. Energy mayco member Beverley van Reenen said: “The City’s planned energy projects require a significant amount of resources, including technical…

eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda blaming the Eastern Cape for Durban’s woes is a stark reminder of how easily such rhetoric can fan the flames of racism and tribalism. This undermines the country’s hard-won democracy and deflects from the real issues that plague our nation, issues that Kaunda himself has demonstrably failed to address. Nelson Mandela’s legacy is one of reconciliation and unity. He famously preached the message of Ubuntu – a philosophy emphasising the interconnectedness of humanity. In a nation deeply divided along racial and ethnic lines, Mandela understood that true progress could be achieved only through collective effort and mutual respect. Kaunda’s comments stand in stark contrast to this ideal. As an ANC leader who has read up on history, he should know why the Eastern Cape lags behind…

WASHINGTON: A recent poll has shown that 36% of Alaskans want their state to leave the federal US and establish an independent nation. The survey conducted by YouGov showed that ‘The Last Frontier’ is the most sceptical state in the country when it comes to federal rule. The idea of saying farewell to Washington is also supported by 31% of residents of Texas, 29% in California and 28% in New York and Oklahoma. Independence movements are also popular in US territories such as Hawaii and Puerto Rico. On average, one in four US citizens is pro-secessionist. | Sputnik…

Football icon and SABC sports presenter Siphiwe Mkhonza recently died after battling a kidney infection. Affectionately known as “Dr Mnandi”, the football star played as a defender for Bafana Bafana, as well as for local teams Kaizer Chiefs and Golden Arrows. His family confirmed his death in a statement on Tuesday. “He was admitted to Charlotte Maxeke (Johannesburg Academic Hospital) a month ago and was discharged after showing signs of recovery,” read the statement. After Mkhonza’s death, media personality Minnie Dlamini, who worked with him at the SABC, took to social media to pay tribute to the fallen sport star. The two hosted Soccerzone, a live football review magazine show in which Mkhonza analysed matches. She wrote: “Woke up to the devastating news that my brother/former colleague @siphiwemkhonza4 has passed…

THE Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in the Western Cape said it was pleased with water security and quality in the province, even though challenges such as ageing infrastructure and vandalism still threatened the delivery of services. Observing National Water Month, the department said yesterday that the province’s dam storages were healthier compared to previous years, and that all river catchments, except for Olifants Doorns, hovered above 60%. This came as the combined dam levels stood at 65%. Ntombizanele Bila-Mupariwa, DWS provincial head, noted that municipalities across the Western Cape performed well according to the 2023 Blue, Green and No Drop reports. The various reports assess drinking water quality and performance of wastewater management systems, among others. “With regards to water quality, Western Cape municipalities are proud of the…

RELIEF organisation, Gift of the Givers (GoTG), has intervened to assist close to 2 000 foreign nationals who fled their homes, reportedly due to xenophobic threats, in Wellington. Women and children were yesterday being accommodated in a local hall under police guard. This was while men sought refuge at the local police station, GoTG project manager, Ali Sablay, said. “The threat stemmed after a local resident and foreign national were involved in a fatal brawl where both succumbed to their injuries. “Credit is due to the swift response by the SAPS in evacuating the foreign nationals in the OR informal settlement and preventing the looting and burning of foreign shops.” Sablay said GoTG teams were activated and on-site yesterday afternoon to provide humanitarian assistance. They would also conduct further assessments…

TODAY, on International Women’s Day, we must accord this global observance the deep respect that we South Africans typically reserve for significant national days like Youth Day or Reconciliation Day. While our own Women’s Day pays homage to women’s pivotal role in navigating our nation’s complex history, International Women’s Day casts a wider net, commemorating the global struggle for women’s rights and the ongoing efforts towards gender equality. This day serves as a promise and a reminder that no matter how far we as a global community have come, much is left to do to emancipate women from the overt and covert barriers that deny, exclude and oppress them. Regardless of any official decrees or bills that attempt to codify a fairer society, individuals will continue to face significant obstacles…

Hopes dimmed yesterday for a truce before Ramadaan in the Israel-Hamas war that entered its sixth month with dozens more killed, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory threatened by famine. The ministry said 83 more people had been killed over the previous day, adding to a toll it says has reached 30 800, mostly women and children, in a war that China called “a disgrace to civilisation”. In the wasteland of Jabalia, northern Gaza, Palestinians gathered to receive meals at a donation point. “There is no gas to cook our food on. There is no flour, or rice,” said Bassam al-Hou, standing beside large, blackened cooking pots among the dusty rubble. He said children “are dying and fainting in the streets from hunger. What can we…

London: Controversial plans to send migrants from the UK to Rwanda will return to the House of Commons this month after parliament’s upper chamber recommended several changes to the scheme, the government said yesterday. Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s flagship plan to “stop the boats” of asylum seekers crossing the Channel from France has suffered 10 defeats in the unelected House of Lords in recent days. MPs in the elected lower chamber will debate and vote on those amendments on March 18. To date, 3 208 people have made the crossing into Britain this year. | AFP…

Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has warned arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs that they’ll be better in the Soweto derby than they were against Cape Town Spurs on Wednesday. Two days ago, Pirates drew 1-1 with Spurs at home after squandering an early lead as they failed to pitch up for the better part of the second half. That draw didn’t only result in Pirates missing out on a chance to climb to second on the log, but it stained their dress rehearsal for the derby tomorrow afternoon at the FNB Stadium (3.30pm kick-off). But Riveiro is not crying over spilt milk. He believes that his troops will pull up their socks for the biggest sporting event in Mzansi in front of 90 000 spectators at the Calabash. After all, Pirates will…

EIGHTEEN days after 6-year-old Joshlin Smith disappeared from her Middelpos home in Saldanha Bay, four suspects, including her mother Racquel, who goes by the name Kelly, appeared alongside three others in connection with the case yesterday. But as the four accused stood in the dock at the Vredenburg Magistrate’s Court facing charges of human trafficking and kidnapping, there remained no sign of the missing girl. “Where is Joshlin?” chanted residents outside, who could not fit into the packed courtroom. Kelly alleged that on February 19, she left Joshlin alone with her boyfriend, Jacquin Appollis, while she went to work in the morning. The next day, a wide and extensive search began with community members and Saldanha Bay mayor André Truter scouring bushes and open veld around the informal settlement Joshlin…

YET another accused romance scammer, this time a 42-year-old Nigerian national, has been arrested in Parklands for swindling a Canadian woman out of R24 million. The arrest comes as seven alleged members of the notorious Black Axe syndicate that swindled women out of large sums of money, also allegedly operating from the Parklands area, were found liable for extradition to the US as there was sufficient evidence to warrant their prosecution. Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi yesterday said members attached to the Commercial Crime Investigation unit led a multidisciplinary operation on Tuesday, that led to the arrest of the 42-year-old.…

IN LIGHT of International Women’s Day (IWD) today, the status of women and girls in society has once again come to the fore. IWD is commemorated annually on March 8, with the 2024 campaign theme, Inspire Inclusion. The inaugural IWD global commemorative day was held in March 1911, signalling a day of collective global activism and celebration across cultural, economic, political and social achievements. The day is also used to create awareness around discrimination and greater action against gender disparity. Women For Change (WFC) spokesperson Bulelwa Adonis said in order to enhance inclusion of women and girls, every sector of society needed to provide a safe space for voices to be heard. “Oftentimes women are portrayed as either angry, bossy, or loud. “There’s often this negative picture painted when women…

“THE search for Joshlin brought individuals, NGOs, community activists, police officials, neighbourhood watches and representatives from different spheres of government together in the quest to find the missing girl. For days they searched vast identified areas in Saldanha Bay.” This from a senior police official about four suspects who were to appear in court yesterday in connection with the disappearance of 6-year-old Joshlin Smith almost three weeks ago. Her disappearance captured the country’s heart and left it distraught as South Africans across social and other divides voiced very real concerns and closely followed the news, hoping she would be found. Inevitably, a public noise of all sorts of comment surfaces across the country with gossip and informal speculation about the case and about broader trauma of many missing children. Soon…

PRAGUE: Czech farmers dumped manure in front of the government’s office, blocked Prague streets with tractors and taunted the country’s farm minister yesterday, as they renewed protests demanding more help and a halt to cheap imports to the EU. Czech farmers, in their third protest since mid-February, rolled into Prague yesterday in hundreds of tractors, lining streets and bringing traffic to a standstill in several spots. The government has said it would not be pressured in talks with farmers, with Prime Minister Petr Fiala saying it was like “blackmail”. Farmers have called for subsidies matching 2022 levels. | Reuters…

LONDON: Sexually transmitted infections surged across Europe in 2022, with reported cases of gonorrhoea jumping by nearly a half, the European Centre for Disease Prevention (ECDC) and Control said as it released data yesterday. Syphilis cases rose by 34% from the previous year, to more than 35 000, chlamydia cases by 16% to more than 216 000. Gonorrhoea cases jumped by 48% to more than 70 000. Cases of lymphogranuloma venereum and congenital syphilis, when the infection is transmitted from mother to foetus, also increased sharply, the ECDC said, although from lower levels. | Reuters…

Lewis Hamilton said Formula One is facing a “pivotal moment” as it battles a series of off-track controversies. The build-up to last weekend’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix was overshadowed by the fallout caused by Red Bull’s investigation into alleged inappropriate behaviour by its team boss, Christian Horner. On Tuesday, motorsport’s governing body, the FIA said its compliance department was “assessing” reports that its president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem told officials not to certify the track used for last year’s Las Vegas Grand Prix. “It doesn’t look good from the outside and it doesn’t look good from within,” seven-time world champion Hamilton told reporters ahead of tomorrow’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. “I think it’s a really important time for the sport to show and to stick to their values, holding ourselves accountable…