Indholdsfortegnelse for 2025-02-19 i Cape Argus

A PATRON of a popular Grabouw farmstall will be compensated after she suffered a fall at the stall’s wooden walkway in 2019. The 72-year-old pensioner will now be paid damages after she slipped and fell on a wet and slippery wooden walkway at the open-air retail and dining operation, combining elements of a farm stall with a broader shopping experience. According to the woman, who had navigated between the premises which hosts various shops housed in pop-up containers with wooden decking connecting the retail spaces, she came upon a stack of crates protruding from the front of the container, and had to swerve to avoid them. Judge Adrian Montzinger found in the pensioner’s favour after it was found that wet floor signage was not placed on the open-air deck where…

IN AN APPARENT growing revolt against Jacob Zuma’s elevation of newcomers to senior positions in the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), a senior KwaZulu-Natal legislature member, Phumlani Mfeka, has resigned from the legislature and the party. Mfeka is one of the founding members of the party, and his constituency is traditional leaders – a constituency the party said it valued. Mfeka, also a founder of a Pan Africanist civic group called Injeje yabeNguni, informed the party caucus on Monday about his decision to quit both the legislature and as party member. He confirmed to Independent Media that he was indeed leaving party politics but refused to divulge the reasons for his resignation. He said he would call a meeting with izinduna (headmen) and amakhosi (traditional leaders) and it would be up…

DUE to obligations involving the Gauteng Provincial Executive Committee (PEC), Lesufi was unable to attend the launch of the province’s State of Readiness for the G20 Summit dialogue event at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) on Tuesday. However, his vision for the summit was expressed by a panel of renowned academics who were assembled to discuss urgent geopolitical and economic issues. The dialogue, made up of academics, was the first of a series of conversations ahead of the much anticipated G20 Summit later this year. Vuyo Mhanga, representing the provincial government, emphasised the importance of collaboration with the province’s higher learning institutions. “The province is of the view that let us use the institutions of higher learning because you have young people there. Let us go to communities and start…

A BAKER who omitted to mix white bread flour with brown flour, resulting in a bakery losing more than 11 000 loaves of bread, will not lose his job after his employer initially fired him. The Johannesburg Labour Court came to the aid of Thabani Khumalo after Pioneer Foods, trading as Aeroton Bakery, wanted to have an earlier CCMA ruling – which found his dismissal to be unfair, overturned. A commissioner at the CCMA earlier found that the dismissal of Khumalo was found to be substantively unfair and ordered the bakery to reinstate him. He was fired after he was found guilty of gross negligence during a disciplinary hearing. The charges against him related to him not manually blending brown bread flour with white bread flour, which resulted in the…

AS the Islamic world is entering the blessed month of Ramadhan, a time for spiritual reflection and devotion, it is important to remember the historical bonds that shaped the Muslim community in South Africa, particularly the deep ties with the Ottoman Empire. These connections, often overshadowed by time, are revived through archival documents and photographs that highlight the remarkable solidarity between the two. The story begins in the late 19th century when the Muslim community in South Africa began organising themselves into societies such as the Hamidia Islamic Society, established in Johannesburg and Durban in the 1890s. Prominent figures like Imam Abdulkadir Bawazeer in Johannesburg, and Osman Ahmed and Hajji Sulaiman Shah in Durban, took leadership roles in nurturing the faith and supporting the local community. In February 1906, during…

In his recent fulminations at the current global polity, Mr Essa pretentiously resorts to geology-based analogies that, I suggest, are rooted in a deliberate myopia – not to see the elephant in the room. The world is tired of the notion that a perceived persecution has been weaponised against a religion with a resultant victimhood. Conveniently, the Government of India (GoI, Bharat) and Narendra Modi who are credited with the remarkable transformation of Bharat, are pilloried for the emergence of Bharat as a superpower. The GoI and Modi are merely reinvigorating the world’s longest surviving civilisation that is rooted in Sanatana Dharma (which see divinity in all) – a civilisation and country devastated (before the British), by repeated Islamic invasions that oversaw the destruction of a remarkable civilisation by looting,…

Many parts of the country have been blessed with good rains these past few weeks and throughout last year. For some it’s been at times more a case of being cursed because of the destructive and disruptive flooding they have experienced. Ironically, as residents waded in flooded paths and roads this week, the taps were dry in many parts of Gauteng and eThekwini. In response to the current spike in the crisis in Joburg the city’s mayor, Dada Morero, reached out to residents to apologise. But instead of an apology, surely residents need proper and comprehensive accounting for what led to the crisis. Many questions remain unanswered as to whether the good action plan adopted last year was being adhered to. The water problems are a decades-old challenge for many…

Sarah had survived famine, multiple wars and years of displacement in Sudan’s Zamzam camp and never considered fleeing, until a paramilitary attack turned the site into a “killing field”. Last week, shelling and gunfire shook the streets as the Rapid Support Forces, at war with the army for nearly two years, stormed the famine-stricken camp in the Darfur region. “Bombs were falling on houses. There were bodies on the street. There was no way we could stay,” the 22-year-old literature student told AFP after arriving in the town of Tawila, around 60 kilometres (37 miles) west of Zamzam. In the small, hunger-ridden town, cut off from nearly all humanitarian and media access, an AFP journalist who had exclusive access met some of the hundreds of families seeking safety. “In the…

IN a landmark resolution marking the end of an eight-year protracted legal battle, the Competition Tribunal has confirmed a R101 million settlement agreement with Willowton Group, the owner of the Sunfoil cooking oil brand. The settlement stems from an investigation that commenced in 2016, targeting the company behind well-known brands such as Romi, D’lite, and Sunshine D. This inquiry scrutinised allegations of collusion with other edible oil producers to manipulate prices. The companies include Wilmar Continental Edible Oils and Fats (Pty) Ltd, FR Waring Holdings (Pty) Ltd, Africa Sun Oil Refineries (Pty) Ltd, Epic Foods (Pty) Ltd, Sea Lake Investments (Pty) Ltd and Unity Food Products (Pty) Ltd. Investigations are still ongoing against the other companies except for one company, FR Waring Holdings (Pty) Ltd. The companies allegedly agreed on…

THE Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) commissioner Teboho Maruping is still on precautionary suspension in connection with the now cancelled R5 billion contract with Thuja Holdings. Maruping was suspended in September last year for his alleged role in the contract, which was set aside by the Pretoria High Court four months earlier and an appeal was dismissed by the Supreme Court of Appeal. His suspension came after he was slapped with a final warning in connection with the Covid-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme. In a parliamentary reply, Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth said Maruping will remain on precautionary suspension until the finalisation of his disciplinary hearing. Meth stated that she unfortunately could not advise of a specific date for the finalisation of the matter due to the disciplinary hearing getting…

WHEN decoded, “unlock funding and accelerate renewable energy,” the slogan of those advocating human efforts to manage climate change, actually has contradictory consequences which, sadly, are being ignored. By definition, unlock means open, release or liberate. By advocating acceptance of funding for so-called renewable energy, the debt implications of that direction amount to greater debt captivity. This is obvious when the advocates stipulate that investment in ‘renewable capacity’ needs to triple in the next five years – more than R1 trillion – in order to stave off the “devastating warming” consequences of fossil fuel usage (INL, November 25). As it is, South Africa’s rapidly increasing and unsustainable debt burden – now 75% of GNP (R5,2 trillion) – has prompted the IMF to advise adoption of a debt-ceiling. To “accelerate renewable…

THE blazing headlines read “R37 million rand goes missing from municipality’s bank account.” In 1994, our nation after decades of oppression, became a constitutional democracy. We began a process of breathing fresh air’s of wisdom, none would have thought that this very fresh air would turn foul and with the passage of time, get so contaminated that it would poison the whole of the country’s democratic set up and the persons to whom the responsibility of governing the country is given would be the fountain head of such contaminated air. Law is the fulcrum of democracy and democracy is what holds people together without force. Elite profligacy in the face of impoverished citizens underscores the core problem facing our troubled land, corruption. The masses will unflinchingly agree that corruption begets…

The eastern DRC has become the site of renewed tensions between Kigali and Kinshasa. Rwanda lies to the east of the DRC. The two nations share a border of about 217km. Kigali accuses the DRC of hosting the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, the largest illegal armed group operating in the conflict area. Better known by its French acronym, FDLR, the group has stated its intention to overthrow the Rwandan government. On the other hand, Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of supporting and arming the M23, which seeks to control the two Kivu provinces, North and South. The involvement of the Rwandan Defence Forces in direct combat alongside the M23, corroborated by UN experts, has escalated the spread of violence. Despite current tensions between Kinshasa and Kigali, a few years…

THREE suspects allegedly part of a vehicle theft syndicate are expected to appear in court this week after they were busted by cops in the Cape Town CBD. Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith, said the trio were caught as Law Enforcement officers chased them through the Company’s Garden on Monday after their vehicle was spotted entering the CBD. “Working in conjunction with the Central Improvement District, members picked up on the suspicious behaviour of a vehicle entering the area. “After testing the vehicle, it was discovered to be riding around with false number plates. A chase ensued, with the occupants fleeing on foot into the Company’s Garden. “Additional members responded and surrounded the area, trapping the suspects inside while a manhunt was convened. “Locating the suspects, a…

We are facing a deadly outbreak of hand, mouth and foot disease, which is spreading rapidly and putting our children, especially those in schools and creches, at severe risk. This highly contagious disease affects young children whose immune systems are not fully developed, making them especially vulnerable to complications that could impact their health for years to come. Painful sores, fever, and blisters on the mouth and feet are just the beginning – if not properly managed, it can lead to serious dehydration and other health issues. We cannot afford to ignore this. It has been reported that cases have risen to 117 in KZN. The IFP in the KZN Legislature believes that it is the duty of the KZN MEC for Health, Nomagugu Simelane, to ensure that immediate and…

The tragic killing of Muhsin Hendricks in Port Elizabeth is a matter that should deeply disturb every person of faith and conscience. His murder is not only a crime against South African law but also a grave violation of the sanctity of life, which Islam upholds above all else. Regardless of differences in belief, interpretation, or personal convictions, there is no justification – Islamic, legal, or moral – for taking another human being’s life in such a manner. Islam places immense value on the sanctity of human life. The Qur’an explicitly states: “Whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption (done) in the land – it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one – it is as if he had saved mankind…

One of the key reasons for South Africa’s exceptionally low economic growth rates has been the ongoing operational and financial turmoil that has plagued the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) for decades. State-controlled central planning, corruption, state capture and maladministration have been responsible for the downward spiral in the SOE sphere. Around R400 billion has been spent bailing out SOEs since 2008. These financial survival injections come from taxpayers one way or another and means that the fiscus is drained and funding is diverted away from other necessary government priorities – all of which is paired with dismally insufficient service delivery by these SOEs. On January 24 , the Minister of Public Enterprises introduced the National State Enterprises Bill B1-2024 (“the Bill”) before the National Assembly. The main goal envisioned by the…

Renowned South African combat sports and wellness coach Fidaah Edries says the new Rising Stars Fight Promotion was created with the athletes of the southern suburbs of Cape Town in mind. Rising Stars makes its debut this weekend in Wynberg and will showcase some of South Africa’s up-and-coming amateur kickboxing and boxing athletes. Like the rest of South Africa, the Western Cape combat sports scene is booming with talent. Many young fighters take up their favourite fighting disciplines with the aim of reaching the highest levels and following in the footsteps of Mzansi’s brightest stars, including Dricus du Plessis, Faeez Jacobs, Ncedo Gomba, Peyton Letcher, and many more. Promotions like the Professional Fighting Championship, Barebones FC, Grassroots FC, Thaiholics FP, Jackie Brice Boxing, Insane Boxing promotions, Future Champs, and more,…