Indholdsfortegnelse for 2025-02-05 i Cape Argus

THE Western Cape High Court has ruled in favour of a Cape Town woman who sustained serious injuries after falling at a McDonald’s franchise owned by MSA Devco (Pty) Ltd in Milnerton. Gail Patricia Morrison slipped and fell on a wet floor while at McDonald’s and injured her knee back in February 2017. Morrison had gone to the establishment with Peter Mervyn Winspear to discuss work-related issues when she unexpectedly lost her footing and fell on a damp section of the dining area. She was wheeled out of the restaurant on a stretcher and rushed to Milnerton Medi-Clinic where she underwent an operation on her right ankle and left knee. She instituted legal action against the renowned fast-food chain, arguing that the restaurant failed to adequately protect its patrons. Amongst…

YOUR Monday edition, “how side hustles are helping South Africans stay afloat” refers. It is always good news to hear how people are not only pursuing but encouraging side hustles. In essence a side hustle is sometimes the only means of support. Everyone should at least have some economic exploit where they can try and make extra money to put food on the table. A study done about two years ago shows that South Africa is far behind the rest of the world in the informal business sector. We need to encourage entrepreneurship from a young age. It would be great to see schools introducing a topic such as “entrepreneurship”. With every side hustle we see job creation and we see these informal businesses eventually becoming formal small business. Informal…

AT the outset I would like to say that I do respect and value the noble profession of Journalism. In many ways you are the publics window on the world and inform us about and comment on the world around us. However sadly these days I feel you have merely become score keepers. You sadly inform us daily of the murders, violence and GBV assaults in our community. Yesterday Corne Lee Jacobs, a twenty-one-year old mother of two was added to the score sheet (I am not meaning to be callous). Over many years I have been told of many precious children, young women and even innocent men that have lost their lives tragically in our community. Please tell us what the authorities are doing in our communities and especially…

As schooling resumed across the country, for countless parents and learners, the harsh realities of these circumstances have been no different in 2025. The January rush for stationery, uniforms, and school fees weighs heavily, even on those parents striving to keep their children in Quintile 4 and 5 schools, often seen as a step up but increasingly out of reach. We have seen more and more parents moving their children out of Quintile 1, 2 and 3 schools opting for Quintile 4 and 5 schools because of the perception that these schools are better equipped. In fact, government investment into Quintile 1, 2 and 3 schools have shown remarkable results based on the newly released results. The recent outrage on social media reflects the struggles many parents face in providing…

SYDNEY: A swimmer died in a shark attack in the waters off a popular tourist spot on Australia’s east coast, authorities said yesterday. Emergency crews were called to the Woorim Beach at Bribie Island, about 80kms north of Brisbane on Monday afternoon, Queensland State police said on Monday. Police did not disclose the age of the victim although Australian media widely reported the victim was a 17-year-old girl. This was the third reported fatal shark attack in Australia in just over five weeks.…

The Trump administration’s attempt to fold the USAID humanitarian agency into the State Department calls into question the future of tens of billions of dollars in financial support to some of the world’s poorest countries. The US is the world’s largest provider of official development assistance, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Most of its support is channeled through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), an independent government agency established by Congress in 1961. USAID is by far the largest humanitarian and development arm of the US government, with a workforce of approximately 10 000 people around the world and an annual budget of tens of billions of dollars. Congress approves USAID’s funding each year. The humanitarian agency then works with Congress and the…

For years, Loyiso Bala was known as one of South Africa’s most celebrated R&B and gospel artists. From the late 1990s, he captivated audiences with his voice, first as part of the award-winning Bala Brothers alongside his siblings Zwai and Phelo, and later as a solo artist. But in an industry where financial stability isn’t always guaranteed, he knew he needed to think ahead. At 36, Bala had a wake-up call. Despite his success, he realised that relying solely on music wouldn’t be sustainable in the long run. Without a degree or corporate experience, the future looked uncertain. “At 36, I faced a harsh reality. If I didn’t make a change, I’d soon be in my 40s, struggling to book gigs, watching opportunities fade,” he shared on Instagram. “I had…

VITAL evidence by a medical expert is expected to be delivered by a key witness in the trial against Corrine Jackson who is accused of attempting to behead her estranged 18-year-old girlfriend nearly eight years ago. The mammoth trial resumed last week with a list of witnesses which included the victim, Nadine Esterhuizen’s sister, Rhayader Esterhuizen, Rhayader’s boyfriend, Laurenzo Adams and her brother and others, taking the stand in the State’s case against Jackson. The court heard the matter would now resume between May 7 and May 8, to allow the State time to deliver a key medical witness. Further details of what is expected may not be stated in the public domain until the expert witness takes the stand. Jackson is currently out on bail and is also expected…

THE Banking Association of South Africa (BASA) said the 2024 transformation in banking report, which will be released soon, showed there has been consistent improvement in key transformation expectations in bank ownership over the years, except during the Covid-19 pandemic. Briefing the joint meeting of the standing committee on finance and portfolio commit on trade, industry and competition on yesterday, BASA managing director Bongi Kunene used the occasion to give highlights of the report covering the period between 2018 and 2023. “In 2023, the banking industry exceeded targets for voting rights and economic interests by black, black women and designated groups,” she said. Kunene also said in terms of management, there was a strong pipeline of black senior and middle managers that had been developed by the banks. “There has…

Khadija Yacoob Hasan, a distinguished leader and advocate for women’s rights and economic progress, has long been a powerful figure in the social, political, and commercial landscape of South India. With a rich history of advocacy, diplomacy, and leadership, she stands as an inspirational example of empowerment, particularly for women in the region. Born in Cape Town into a family with strong diplomatic ties, Mrs. Hasan is the daughter of the late Ahmed Ataullah Effendi, the first consul for the Ottoman Empire in Singapore. Her mother Muhsine was the sister of Dr Abdullah Abdurrahman from South Africa. In fact, Dr. Abdurrahman looked after Khadija and her siblings after his brother in-law Ahmed Ataullah died in Singapore. After receiving her education at the esteemed school of art and culture (Sanayi Nefise)…

Donald Trump is on the warpath and South Africa is the latest country in his crosshairs. He ungraciously informed us via a social media post that he was so upset that our government is apparently confiscating land left, right and centre, that he was compelled to cut off US foreign aid. Never mind that the land expropriation bill has not been passed yet. He further explained that he felt it was morally reprehensible that certain classes of people were being treated ‘very badly’. No one said that being the leader of the free world meant you had to be eloquent, or specific for that matter. South Africa unlike the USA has not started wars, bombed civilians, women and children (mostly brown people) and provided weapons to warlords and dictators. The…

South Africa has a new law to govern the expropriation (or compulsory acquisition) of private property by government for public purposes or in the public interest. The passing of the Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 followed a parliamentary process that began in 2020. The act repeals the apartheid-era Expropriation Act 63 of 1975, and aims to align expropriation law with the constitution. It sets out the procedures, rules and regulations for expropriation. The act also provides an outline regarding how compensation is to be determined. In South Africa’s colonial and apartheid past, land distribution was grossly unequal on the basis of race. The country is still suffering the effects of this. So expropriation of property is a potential tool to reduce land inequality. This has become a matter of increasing…

The University of California system was sued on Monday by a student group for alleged racial discrimination in admissions by favouring black and Hispanic applicants over Asian- American and white applicants. Students Against Racial Discrimination said the use of racial preferences at all nine of the system’s campuses lets students with inferior academic credentials win admission at the expense of better-qualified applicants. The group said this violates the equal protection clause of the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment, as well as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars federal funds recipients from discriminating based on race. It also said the preferences run afoul of Proposition 209, which California voters passed in 1996 to forbid race and other factors in public education, employment and public contracting. In a…

Indonesia is setting up a state investment agency that will manage government holdings in some of the country’s biggest firms, after parliament yesterday approved the vehicle which is intended to operate like Singapore’s investment arm Temasek. The creation of the Daya Anagata Nusantara Investment Management Agency, or Danantara, was announced soon after President Prabowo Subianto took office in October, with the aim of improving the performance and returns from state investments. Danantara’s initial capital will be at least 1 000 trillion rupiah (about R1 trillion), and deputy speaker of parliament Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said it would take over all government holdings in state companies from the State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Ministry. State companies, which in 2023 had combined assets worth 11 684.3 trillion rupiah, play a dominant role in South-east…

DETECTIVES from the Provincial Serious and Violent Crimes Unit are investigating a brutal crime in Delft South where three people were found shot and set alight in what is believed to be an act of vigilantism in the Western Cape. Police discovered the scene at around 7.30am on Monday, after reports of gunfire earlier that day. “The victims were shot and set alight in what we believe is an act of vigilantism, after shots were heard during the early hours of this morning (Monday). “Two of the bodies are male and the third one is believed to be a female, as identification is yet to be made,” said police spokesperson, Colonel Andrè Traut. Authorities have not yet determined the motive behind the killings, and no arrests have been made. Police…

THE taxman was able to collect between R11 billion and R12bn in taxes from the two-pot savings withdrawals system since it began in September 2024. This admission was made by the SA Revenue Service (SARS) Commissioner, Edward Kieswetter, during an Allan Gray webinar. The revenue service noted that more than 2 million South Africans had taken advantage of the system and had withdrawn around R43bn collectively. “The tax that we then withheld on that is just short of R11bn,” Kieswetter said during the webinar. The Commissioner stated that SARS will prioritise retaining any outstanding taxes owed to the revenue service before releasing the funds. And we’ve issued directives for just short of a billion rand of debt to be collected. So overall, there is a higher than assumed contribution to…

THE Referendum Party has slammed the Democratic Alliance (DA) for supposedly betraying its voters over its flip-flopping stance on the Expropriation Act, accusing it of singing for its supper in the Government of National Unity (GNU). The Referendum Party, which is advocating for the autonomy of the Western Cape, said the DA was suddenly supporting land expropriation ideas sold by the ANC. But it is not just this party that is accusing the DA of selling voters short, with netizens spewing anger on social media over its “dishonest” handling of the Expropriation Act. Last Month, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Bill into law, which provides for the expropriation of land without compensation. “We expected the ANC to pretend ‘expropriation with nil compensation’ is not the same as ‘expropriation without…

I AM WRITING to express my profound outrage and disappointment regarding the recent incidents at Drakensberg Secondary School in Estcourt, as reported in the media. The actions taken against Hindu pupils, compelling them to remove or conceal their sacred red prayer strings (kalava), represent a blatant act of religious intolerance that is both unacceptable and deeply concerning. According to reports, a Muslim educator instructed Hindu pupils to remove their red strings, and in one instance, allegedly cut the string off a learner’s wrist after she voiced her objection. Furthermore, the school’s principal, who is himself Hindu, reportedly advised pupils to hide their prayer strings and demanded letters from priests to justify wearing them. Such actions not only infringe upon the pupils’ constitutional rights to religious freedom but also undermine the…

After having spent time in various parts of Durban, a relative from New Zealand described Durban’s condition as ‘filthy, unkempt and an insult to previous generations.’ The condition of streets, verges, traffic islands and open spaces always shapes visitors’ impressions. Since summer started, eThekwini municipality’s attempts to tame and to trim nature’s growth have been glaringly absent. Thus, the metre high grass that abounds everywhere, streets strewn with trash, piles of abandoned road tar (spoil) excavated for repairing burst water pipes – that is the image Durban projects. The ANC has had 25 years to learn that a priority in summer is to ensure nature is kept in trim and not allowed to reach the out-of-control state that now prevails metro-wide. From that, the obvious conclusion is that the ANC…

“I have asked Secretary of State @SecPompeo to closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures and expropriations and the large scale killing of farmers. South African Government is now seizing land from white farmers.” That social media message put our country in the global spotlight for the wrong reasons when US President Donald Trump posted it in August 2018, understandably causing a lot of consternation within and without our borders. Among concerns were the downright reckless exaggeration and disinformation. No land was seized and there was no large-scale killing of white farmers. Not back then, and still not now in 2025. But Trump is at it again, very soon after being reinstated as president of one of the most powerful nations of the world. South Africa was rudely…

BEIJING: China imposed targeted tariffs on American imports yesterday and put several US companies, including Google, on notice for possible sanctions, in a measured response to the sweeping duties on Chinese imports imposed by President Donald Trump. Beijing’s limited counter to Trump’s imposition of a 10% tariff on all Chinese imports underscored the attempt by Chinese policymakers to engage Trump in talks that could avert an outright trade war between the world’s two largest economies. Mailed packages from China must undergo formal customs entry under new tariffs implemented yesterday, according to a notice from the US Customs and Border Protection posted online on Monday.…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington yesterday, with expectations that he would try to turn the page on sometimes tense relations with the former Biden administration as the two leaders address the future of the Gaza ceasefire and ways to counter Iran. However, Netanyahu, the first foreign leader to be hosted by Trump since his January 20 inauguration, could face pressure from the staunchly pro-Israel president whose policy goals for the Middle East may not always coincide with Netanyahu’s interests. They will meet just as indirect negotiations are due to resume this week between Israel and Hamas on the second stage of the ceasefire deal and hostage release. Trump said on Sunday that discussions with Israel and other countries in the…