Indholdsfortegnelse for 2025-01-08 i Cape Argus

If there’s one family that has captured hearts with their creepy charm for generations, it’s The Addams Family. From their quirky antics to their endearing embrace of the macabre, they have been a household name since first being introduced by Charles Addams in 1938. The beloved family have returned to the stage with The Addams Family Musical, a delightful mix of spooky fun and heartfelt lessons, crafted by Andrew Lippa, Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. Mzansi audiences are in for a treat as the musical brings all the iconic elements of the Addams universe to life. With sharp wit, a cast of eccentric characters and some truly magical stage effects, this production promises to be a hit for the whole family. At its core, the musical follows the story of…

AGRICULTURE Minister, John Steenhuisen, has three departmental-owned executive vehicles equipped with blue lights that are valued at over R2.8 million. This was revealed in a Parliamentary response by Steenhuisen to questions by ActionSA’s Parliamentary leader Athol Trollip recently. In his question, Trollip asked Steenhuisen to provide clarity on the modes of transport he uses for his official duties in light of the fact that he had shunned the use of luxury vehicles fitted with blue lights in recent reports. Responding to the question and others related to executive vehicles, Steenhuisen confirmed that the modes of transport used by the Minister of Agriculture for official duties are executive vehicles or air transport owned by the department. “Yes, all the executive vehicles are fitted with blue lights and the appropriate signalling systems,”…

CITY of Joburg Council Speaker, Nobuhle Mthembu, is said to be mulling a possible extraordinary council sitting to discuss the recent appointment of new City Manager, Tshepo Makola, among other issues. A source close to the developments said there is a possibility that the Speaker will call the sitting to discuss Makola’s appointment. “The date for this meeting has yet to be confirmed, but it should be scheduled soon,” the source said. The urgency of this potential sitting is underscored by mounting pressures surrounding city leadership and management methods. Makola’s ascent to the role follows a controversial period marked by the Joburg Crisis Alliance (JCA), which last week called for the recruitment process of a city manager to be handled by an independent agency. The call for external oversight raises…

DROWNINGS have decreased since the start of the peak festive season, with nine persons losing their lives at sea and 30 near-drowning incidents reported. Among the incidents include the New Year’s Day tragedy at Table View Beach, when a father and daughter managed to keep a man afloat using an NSRI pink rescue buoy. Sadly, when the 46-year-old man from Philippi was brought to shore, he could not be revived. Another drowning incident occurred when NSRI teams were called to Tsaarsbank Picnic Site along the West Coast, near Vondeling Island, after being alerted by SANParks on January 2 of 16-year-old Neo September from Elsies River, who was caught in a rip current. September’s sister, Kaylin, told IOL that the family had gone to a braai site and that her brother…

Kagiso Rabada lives for the big moments, and there’s arguably no bigger than a World Test Championship final against the arch-enemy Australia at Lord’s. The Proteas finished on top of the ICC World Test Championship table, which secured their place in the WTC final after the tense two-wicket victory over Pakistan at Centurion last year. Defending champions Australia, meanwhile, secured their second successive appearance in the WTC final after beating India in the New Year Test in Sydney. It has set up a final between two nations that enjoy a rich history, with fierce battles contested over the years. Rabada has certainly been at the heart of many of the flashpoints over the last decade, with the fast bowler spearheading the Proteas’ series victories both away in 2016 and the…

Kaizer Chiefs have produced some of the finest pairs of hands in the land – dating back to Eshele Botende, Brian Baloyi, Rowen Fernandez and Itumeleng Khune. But such has been the downward spiral of the emerging talents and recent buys, the club find themselves in the trenches in their goalkeeping unit. The Glamour Boys have incredibly kept only one clean sheet and conceded a whopping 14 goals in 11 Betway Premiership games this season. That has been disappointing, given the fact that all three goalkeepers – Fiacre Ntwari, Brandon Petersen and Bruce Bvuma – have been given a chance to play. Bvuma has ascended as the No 1 in recent weeks, the club’s youth product responsible for the sole clean sheet in the 1-0 win over Chippa United in…

France DNA versus Springbok DNA will be on display when the Sharks host Toulouse in Saturday’s Champions Cup clash in Durban. (5.15pm kick-off). Sharks prop Ox Nche, who faced several Toulouse players during the Springboks’ World Cup quarter-final against France last year, believes this encounter will be one of the season’s highlights. “This is probably going to be the most exciting game we will play this year,” said Nche. “We must bring some of our expertise from when we (the Boks) played against France. We have quite a few guys who have played France, and they have many players who have played the Springboks. “It is about ensuring all of our guys know what to expect. It will be a lot of French DNA versus a lot of Springbok DNA,…

Zendaya and Tom Holland are engaged. The 28-year-old actress struck up a relationship with her Spider-Man: Homecoming co-star Holland, also 28, shortly after they met on the set of the 2016 Marvel film, and after sporting a ring on her engagement finger to the Golden Globes on Sunday evening, insiders have confirmed they are set to tie the knot. According to TMZ, Holland “popped the question between Christmas and New Year’s in a very intimate setting” that was in one of Zendaya’s family homes in the US. The outlet also claimed that the Uncharted star “didn’t make a huge show of the engagement” and instead just made sure that it was a “romantic and intimate” moment that took place just between the two of them. The couple haven’t “started planning…

AN EIGHTH and final suspect linked to the mass killings in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape has been apprehended in Qonce (formerly King William’s Town) on a bus en route to Cape Town. The breakthrough came when the police spotted Songezo Vuma, 20, on the bus route to the Western Cape on Sunday, after it had stopped and he was cornered. Vuma made his first appearance in the Lusikisiki Magistrate’s Court yesterday, and has since abandoned his bail application. He will now join the seven other suspects in court on February 17. They are Siphosoxolo Myekethe, 45, Aphiwe Ndende, 25, Lwando Antony Abi, 33, Bonga Hintsa, 31, Zenande Paya, 38, Mawethu Nomdlwembu, 36, and Mzukisi Ndamase, 46, who have all since abandoned bail. They are facing 18 charges of murder…

A FIVE-YEAR-OLD boy was shot in the head and two women wounded in a gang-related shooting in Manenberg on Monday. The boy had been walking to the shop with his father when he was hit by a stray bullet. The two female victims, aged 31 and 54, were also sitting outside a house on Irvine Street when the shooting broke-out. The boy was taken to Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital where he was stabilised. According to Manenberg police spokesperson, Captain Ian Bennett, at about 6.45pm, the victims were caught in the gang crossfire. “It is alleged that the two women were sitting in front of an address in Irvine Street, Manenberg, and the five-year-old boy was walking with his father towards the tuckshop. “Shots were randomly fired towards the…

THE ANCs efforts to rally the community ahead of its 113th birthday celebrations in the Western Cape, are not off to a great start. Apart from an apparent rift among the party’s senior members, a video clip showing a man demanding ANC officials leave his house, has gone viral. In the clip, captured by Newzroom Afrika, ANC officials are seen speaking to a family in the living room or lounge area. In the background, a man can be heard shouting for the people to leave. Moments later, the man, carrying a young child, comes into the camera’s view and shouts louder. “Leave! Leave Leave! You cannot push me in my mother’s house. You must leave! All of you!” the man shouts as men who appear to be bodyguards, grab the…

THE Wildlife and Environment Society of SA (WESSA), which manages the Blue Flag programme in South Africa, along with political parties, have raised concerns following claims by an independent investigation that found widespread contamination of seawater along the Cape Peninsula. Earlier this week, the Cape Argus revealed the findings by RethinkTheStink’s Project Blue, a limited, citizen-driven investigation into the seawater quality at selected beaches during November and December 2024. The probe showed widespread contamination in Table Bay, with 42% of sampling dates exceeding safety limits for E. coli and Enterococci. Caroline Marx, director of RethinkTheStink, said Project Blue’s sampling met international standards and was analysed by SANAS accredited laboratories. She said the Blue Flag beaches affected were Camps Bay, including Clifton 4th Beach, Saunders’ Rock, and False Bay. Deputy…

THE past weekend was a pretty good one for the Mother City clubs, with both Cape Town City and Stellenbosch FC victorious in their respective matches. The Citizens beat Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 in a Premiership match marking Muhsin Ertugral’s return to the local game, while Stellies won 2-0 against Lunda Sul to give themselves a chance to qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-finals. The two clubs now have the chance to shine even further tonight on what is a Cape Town versus Johannesburg evening, City hosting Orlando Pirates and Stellenbosch away to Chiefs (both 7.30pm kick-offs). Ertugral – the revered Turkish coach who has been in charge of numerous clubs in the domestic Premiership – is champing at the bit to meet yet another of his former clubs. Back…

A WARNING has been issued to motorists travelling along the N3 at Van Reenen’s Pass, after yet another crash was confirmed on the busy highway, just hours after 18 people lost their lives in a multi-vehicle pile-up on Monday night. Reports state the crash yesterday morning occurred in the Montrose vicinity in Kwa-Zulu Natal. It is unknown at this stage how many people have been injured. The N3 Toll Concession’s, Thania Dhoogra, said the section of roadway that had been closed to traffic after the crash, has been re-opened to traffic. “Recovery is complete at the earlier fatal crash which involved a taxi, truck and light motor vehicle on Van Reenen’s Pass. “All lanes have been reopened to traffic but please note, clean-up operations will resume later which may cause…

CHERISHED Afropop band, Mango Groove, will enchant audiences as they celebrate an extraordinary 40-year milestone with a special one-night-only concert at the iconic Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden on Sunday. The event, aptly titled Memories and Moments, promises to be more than just a performance; it will be a reflective and joyful journey through four decades of music and memories, following in the footsteps of their fellow South African legends, Freshlyground, who performed at the same venue this past weekend. Since its formation in the late 1980s, Mango Groove has established itself as a household name, captivating generations with its distinctive fusion of marabi, kwela, and pop rhythms. The sounds of hits like Special Star, Dance Some More, and Moments Away have woven themselves into the very fabric of South African…

The good news for the Stormers ahead of Saturday’s Champions Cup match against the Sale Sharks (3pm kick-off) is that No 8 Evan Roos will make his comeback from injury – but this is countered by concern over Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. The combative Roos had shoulder surgery six months ago, but resumed training with the squad a few weeks ago. Now he is ready for action, and assistant coach Norman Laker said yesterday that he is available for selection this week. Laker hinted strongly that Roos will play off the bench at the Cape Town Stadium, as the coaching staff manage his comeback from a long layoff. “Evan has been training with us, but I think we must have a slow but sure approach as we get him back onto the…

South Africa have successfully completed their journey to the 2023-25 World Test Championship final following their 2-0 series whitewash of Pakistan at home over the past two weeks. The Proteas are set to face archrivals Australia from June 11-15 at Lord’s in London. Cricket writer Ongama Gcwabe takes a deep dive into the Proteas Test players’ returns this season ... Temba Bavuma, Rating: 9 Matches: 7, Innings: 11, Runs: 609, Top Score: 113, Average: 60.9, 100s: 2, 50s: 4 Looking at everything that Bavuma had gone through this cycle, including two series-ending injuries, he just was not supposed to sit at the top of these ratings. However, through sheer determination and will to lead the country, the 34-year-old has defied all the odds and went on to become the first…

The start of the SA20 is fast approaching, with the opening clash taking place tomorrow between the Sunrisers Eastern Cape and MI Cape Town at St George’s Park, Gqeberha (5.30pm start). With all six franchises spoiled with star-studded squads to pick from, here Obakeng Meletse picks the six players to look out for from each team... David Miller (Paarl Royals) The hard-hitting left-hander has had the Boland team as his home for the first two editions of the tournament, and he will lead the way both as captain and, most importantly, in his role as a middle-order finisher. The 35-year-old Proteas stalwart is a highly sought-after T20 player, and with 467 runs scored in just 21 innings – with a tournament strike-rate of 123.24 – this could be the ideal…