Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-11-13 i Cape Argus

A FORMER law firm trust accountant found guilty of embezzling R18 million from client accounts has been jailed to an effective 15 years in prison. Liezel Badenhorst was convicted in September in the Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on charges of theft. The 44-year-old was sentenced this week. According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Badenhorst was employed by DuToit Attorneys in Gqeberha from 2008 until her resignation. NPA Eastern Cape spokesperson, Luxolo Tyali, said she was responsible for managing client trust accounts. “A fiduciary role that required her to safeguard client funds and ensure they were used solely for the intended legal purposes. “However, between February 2018 and March 2023, Badenhorst exploited her position, using an internal banking system to transfer funds from the trust account into her personal…

THE SPECIAL Investigating Unit (SIU) confirmed probing the SA Special Risks Insurance Association (Sasria) over claims and payouts in relation to the July 2021 unrest, which left more than 300 people dead in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Gauteng The SIU said President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed six new proclamations and one amendment authorising it to investigate allegations of maladministration in the affairs of Sasria, two contracts at the Vaal University of Technology, two contracts in Gauteng Department of Health, a tender in Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, two contracts at Mahikeng Local Municipality, seven water-related tenders at Alfred Nzo District Municipality, and an amendment of Chris Hani District Municipality proclamation and to recover any loss the State has suffered. The SIU wrote in a statement that Proclamation 214 of 2024 authorises the…

I have worked in the film industry for close on 20 years and received international accolades for my work, as well as worldwide distribution. The film industry is cut-throat and ruthless. It is a challenging landscape that requires grit, determination, and, most importantly, talent to succeed. In the South African industry, it also often takes the ability to fraternise with the old boys’ club and pay homage to their “superior” cinema sensibilities to succeed. Despite their dominant opinions, which steer the Saftas and the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), our last Oscar nomination in the Best International Feature Category was for Gavin Hood’s Tsotsi – 20 years ago. South African films struggle to secure spots at A-list festivals. They fail to attract audiences at the box office. While we…

The results of the May 29 national and provincial elections had by default presented our nation with yet another historic juncture. The historicity of this period is perhaps more important than many of us realise. Undoubtedly this era in a sense ranks up high with the 1910, 1948 and 1994 political transitions in South Africa. A cursory glance at these other historic transitions is a necessary exercise if we were to place this transition within a proper historical context and therefore have realistic expectations from our current governance order. The 1910 transition was a sequel to the 1902 Vereeniging Peace Accord between the white only minority population after the Anglo-Boer War or should we say the South African war. In line with its stated objectives, the Union of South Africa…

A man accused of supplying drugs to Liam Payne before his death has insisted that he had never given the singer narcotics. The former One Direction singer died on October 16 after falling from his hotel balcony in Argentina. A partial autopsy found traces of pink cocaine – a mixture of methamphetamine, ketamine and MDMA – in his system, as well as cocaine, benzodiazepine and crack. Police have three people under investigation over the Strip That Down hitmaker’s death. One of the men, waiter Braian Nahuel Paiz, 24, has admitted to taking drugs with the star. He denied being the supplier. He claimed Payne was already under the influence when they met for the first time at his workplace on October 2. Speaking on Argentina’s Telefe Noticias TV show, he…

A FRENCH tourist who went missing during a hike at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden has been safely located and is set to return home. Gaetan Haussin was reported missing after failing to reunite with his friends following a day of exploration at the gardens on Sunday. His disappearance sparked a swift response from local authorities and search teams, who worked diligently to ensure his safe return. A Facebook post shared by Take Back Our Mountain said: “This French tourist was last seen by friends at Table View. He went to Kirstenbosch Gardens to go hiking and his fellow hikers arrived back without him. He called at 8pm last night from the Kirstenbosch Gardens gate and said he was en route. Not heard from since.” The SA National Biodiversity Institute (Sanbi),…

Gauteng police arrested seven undocumented migrants, aged between 18 and 29, during a raid at a factory where workers were packaging and altering dates on expired Lucky Star canned fish. Tintswalo Sibeko, provincial police spokesperson in Gauteng, said the owner of the operation remains at large. “On (Monday) November 11, a joint operation between Crime Intelligence from Zamdela, Sasolburg and SAPS Kliprivier yielded significant results in the fight against counterfeit goods,” said Sibeko. She said during the raid along Eland Street, Daleside, law enforcement authorities seized a large quantity of counterfeit Lucky Star pilchards. The police also discovered printing equipment which was used to alter expiry dates on the containers of expired Lucky Star packaging. The altered Lucky Star tins were being placed in boxes marked “Woolworths Food”. “Police opened…

THE Department of Basic Education (DBE) has dismissed a claim of a critical error in the 2024 National Senior Certificate (NSC) Mathematical Literacy Paper 2. Ex-educator and mathematics and science professional, Adiel Ismail, in an open letter highlighted an alleged significant flaw in the paper written on November 4, that he said could impact thousands of learners. Ismail said he has always taken a keen interest in the standards of exams, and said he discovered the error while reviewing the paper. “I came across this question. I am 100% certain this is an error,” he said. The question requires learners to calculate the total number of bricks needed to close the openings of two garage doors with double brick walls. Ismail said critical details, such as the dimensions of the…

IN A DISPLAY of resilience, media personality Dylan Majavie has reflected on his journey as a Top Three finalist in the prestigious Mr South Africa competition, which took place over the course of ten months. Having run from March to November, the competition included a series of challenges, voting sessions, and personal tasks, culminating in the grand finale on November 9 held at Vodacom World Events in Johannesburg. The 29-year-old from Mitchell’s Plain landed the spot of second runner up at the highly anticipated pageant. The first runner-up was Johannesburg’s Luca Pontiggia, with fellow Cape Town-based finalist, Marcel Roux, a 26-year-old physical education educator and sport organiser, coming out on top. Representing a local community, Majavie, a HeartFM radio host, emphasised the significance of personal growth amid his struggles. “Coming…

Many writers like me predicted months ago that the stance by Netanyahu and his compatriots would eventually put the lives of both Zionists and “ordinary” Jews throughout the world in dire jeopardy. Absolutely unnecessarily. The 7th could have “amoebad” a totally new stance by the international Pro-Israeli lobby to rethink about that well worn and time-consuming ridiculous cliche “Israel has the right ...etc etc...!” And instead projected that red-letter date in October 2023 was a clear signal of the beginning of the end. Time for some serious introspection. Time to think about an amicable single state. Kind words like democracy. Nice thoughts like equality. But, alas, Netanyahu and his artfully artless cronies chose the incorrect alternative – the greatest disservice to all Jews – innocent or Zionist by violently reacting…

Unless the government allows for the SABC to be privatised soon, the withdrawal of the SABC Bill (B32-2023), originally designed to address the television broadcaster’s structural, financial and operational challenges, only hastens the inevitable. This is why AfriForum urges the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, to use this opportunity to strike a new, bold path at the SABC – increased privatisation and scrapping of TV licenses. Earlier this year the civil rights organisation submitted written as well as oral presentations to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, in which AfriForum pressed for increased privatisation and scrapping of TV licenses. AfriForum hopes the Minister chooses wisely.…

Service delivery protests in South Africa, particularly those related to water, have become an all-too-familiar sight. The lack of access to this basic necessity has led to widespread frustration and anger among communities, with many taking to the streets to demand action from the government. The issue of water scarcity is not new to South Africa, but it has been exacerbated by years of mismanagement and corruption. The failure to maintain and upgrade water infrastructure has resulted in frequent burst pipes and leaks, leaving many without access to this essential resource. The country’s growing population, which puts additional strain on already-overburdened water systems, further complicates the situation. The impact of these protests cannot be overstated. Not only do they disrupt daily life and cause economic losses, but they also highlight…

THE former friend of alleged underworld kingpin, Nafiz Modack, has admitted to his crimes before Judge Robert Henney, in the hopes of being indemnified of theft charges. Mohammed Hanware returned to testify via an online meeting at the Western Cape High Court yesterday, where he continued to drop bombshells about Modack’s plans to bribe top cops such as former Major-General Jeremy Vearey. Hanware was first named in the underworld trial this year after it was revealed that Modack had filed a police statement in which he claimed he handed Hanware over R500 000 meant for top cops, including Vearey. In a lengthy testimony on Monday, Hanware told the court how he swindled Modack out of thousands of rand by making him believe that he could bribe cops as he recovered…

THE Gugulethu Community Policing Forum (CPF) has urged residents to exercise caution in disclosing personal information, following revelations that actor David Manuel was murdered in an alleged life insurance plot. Police made the breakthrough in the murder investigation of the Noem My Skollie actor, who was killed along with friend Alfonso Fisher. The victims were shot and killed on October 8. Manuel died on the scene in NY 141, Gugulethu, while Fisher was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died. Police spokesperson, Wesley Twigg, said the pair were attacked around 10.18pm on that fateful Tuesday evening. “Police members responded to a complaint of a shooting and upon arrival on the scene they found the victims with gunshot wounds to their bodies. “One victim was declared deceased on the scene…

The dreaded American- style mass killings have hit our shores with a bang. You may think it is unreasonable to blame the US for the recent spate of mass shootings in our country. But if you consider how much influence the US has around the world, then I may not be far-fetched in laying the blame at the feet of the US. America’s degenerate lifestyle is contagious and pervades the world. Its show-biz world of glitz and glamour, the gobble and go fast foods and fizzy drinks, its violent, sexually explicit movies, its culture of drugs and rap music and its addiction to guns as much as the Bible, have infected the young and gullible far and wide across the globe. Ever since cowboy films portrayed gunslingers as heroes and…

During the BRICS summit in Kazan, a commemorative banknote showcasing the flags of participating countries was revealed. This event sparked discussions on creating alternatives to the US dollar and fostering a more independent economic system. Interestingly, this potentially history-changing milestone in BRICS countries has not grabbed headlines in South Africa as it should have. This raises questions about what is said and what is not said, especially the stance of South Africa’s top economic policy honchos, the Treasury and the Reserve Bank. The de-dollarisation debate has also not been widely received or spread to ordinary citizens. This is unsurprising, as economic policy is rarely open to discussion, let alone citizen involvement. Concerns about the dollar’s dominance have increased due to its role in moving wealth from peripheral to core economies,…

No dating, sex, marriage or having children with men: South Korea’s extreme feminist movement “4B” has gone viral in America and beyond since Donald Trump won the US presidential election. In Korean, 4B stands for the “Four Nos”: dating, sex, marriage and childbearing with men. The movement emerged in the mid-2010s in South Korea, against a backdrop of pay disparity, entrenched gender roles and an epidemic of cyber sex crimes and sexual violence against women. Yet it has largely remained a fringe campaign. Adherents like Baek Ga-eul, 33, say it has allowed them to be a “complete human being, not just a being reserved for a man or children”. The movement arose because South Korean women, who do 3.5 times more work in the home a week than men, official…

The Proteas may have arrived on the Highveld buoyed by their series-levelling victory at St George’s Park, but it is imperative that they learn quickly from their error-strewn performances across the opening two T20Is. In one of their victories, they were hopeless with the ball; in the other, inept with the bat. To prevail in a series against the current T20 world champions, it goes without saying that the need is to get both right, starting at Centurion tonight. The Proteas have worked long and hard to dispel the notion that they meekly surrender when the bowling is of the sort that is slow and turning. However, their traditional weaknesses have recently come to the fore again, firstly on the tour of the UAE where Afghanistan’s mystery spin had them…

Jordan Hendrikse termed it ‘Tonyball’, and if you’ve been impressed by the Springboks’ attacking game in 2024, you haven’t seen the half of it yet. That was the suggestion from the man himself, assistant coach Tony Brown, in London yesterday ahead of Saturday’s Test against England at Twickenham. The world champions have sought to evolve their approach on attack, but as scrumhalf Cobus Reinach mentioned yesterday, the former All Black flyhalf has “changed the way we see attack” in the short time he’s been involved with the South Africans. And that’s a scary thought for the rest of the rugby world, as the general, stereotypical assertion is that the Boks can only scrum, maul and kick penalties – something they have actively tried to change over the last few years,…