Indholdsfortegnelse for 2025-12-02 i Cape Argus

As the end credits of 2025 start rolling, let’s look at a few of the famous faces who left us and the legacies they leave. Some of the big names who disappeared from stage and screen this year include Robert Redford, Gene Hackman, Diane Keaton, Ozzy Osbourne, David Lynch, Brian Wilson, George Foreman, Val Kilmer, Michael Madsen, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and our own Presley Chweneyagae. While they were famous figures, they also did their personal planning away from public view, and it is this that will largely shape their legacies. There’s a lesson from each of them that we can apply, even if we don’t have Oscar statuettes, platinum-selling albums, or world title belts! Robert Redford – larger than life Redford died aged 89 with an estimated net worth of $200…

The pulse of Durban’s streets has hit the global stage once again with the release of New Wave, a 16-track album crafted by Dankie Boi, Blacks Jnr and GoldMax. More than just a collection of songs, New Wave represents a bold evolution of gqom music, a genre born in Durban’s vibrant townships and a central pillar of South African dance culture. Speaking to Independent Media, Dankie Boi, born Mfanafuthi Buthelezi, explained that his approach to the album was rooted in respect for gqom’s origins. “Evolving gqom starts with understanding where it comes from,” he said. “I grew up on that raw, minimal, hard-hitting Durban sound. With New Wave, I did not want to change gqom. I wanted to stretch it, add to new melodies and sounds, but keep the heartbeat…

THE Community Representation for Blaauwberg (CRB) is protesting against the City of Cape Town’s Big Bay Local Spatial Development Framework (LSDF), raising concerns over nuclear safety evacuation plans and its risks. The CRB claimed the LSDF proposes adding 10 000–25 000 new residents (low-cost housing opportunities) within the Koeberg Urgent Protective Action Zone (UPZ) without disclosing the Traffic Evacuation Model (TEM) or demonstrating whether the sole evacuation route (R27) can cope. The City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayco Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Eddie Andrews defends the LSDF as a statutory process, clarifying there is no existing development application for Erf 1117, which proposes approximately 3 600 residential units and that the number of 25 000 was inaccurate. The CRB, along with other community groups, is holding a public demonstration…

Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, says that while the Department of Home Affairs does not have an exact figure for the number of duplicate identity document (ID) numbers currently recorded on the National Population Register, efforts are underway to resolve the issue. His response comes to a parliamentary question raised by ActionSA’s Member of Parliament, Lerato Ngobeni, regarding the creation of duplicate and missing IDs. In a written parliamentary reply, Schreiber explained that the department is “on a drive to resolve and eliminate all duplicate ID numbers” by using digital verification processes as part of a broader digital transformation programme. He also stressed that there are “no missing/lost ID numbers on the National Population Register” because each ID number is uniquely assigned to an individual. Ngobeni had asked Schreiber…

NATIONAL Adult Figure Skating Champion Shiven Bodasing will be flying the South African flag at an international competition in Germany next year. The 30-year-old candidate attorney and SPCA inspector started figure skating in February 2020 at the Northgate Ice Rink in Johannesburg where he has fell in love with the craft. He left his life in Johannesburg in behind in 2023 and moved to Cape Town to pursue his passion and access better facilities. He is now a six-time gold medallist and holds the highest technical score among adult skaters in the country. Bodasing will be the first South African to compete at the 2026 ISU Adult Figure Skating Championship which will take place from May 17 to 22, 2026 in Obertsdorf, Germany. He explained: “I fell in love with…

The 20th Summit of the G20 held in Johannesburg, the first on African soil, offered a snapshot of shifting global power in ways that reinforce the need for sustainable focus, mutual solidarity and unity in Africa and the Global South. The US, the biggest economy in the world, elected to snub the summit over its unsubstantiated ideological diplomatic criticism of South Africa. Washington’s absence, viewed from the massive attendance of the G20 members, highlights its waning influence, silent differences with many leaders who attended the summit, or a misreading of the contemporary geopolitical moment related to a rejection of transactional bilateralism in preference for equal, mutually representative, and beneficial multilateralism. The Trump administration has indicated that South Africa may not be invited to the G20 processes and summit to…

Robin Peterson is certainly putting his hand up to be in line for a role with the Proteas T20 coaching staff sooner rather than later. The former Proteas all-rounder is building up an impressive short-format CV after guiding the Warriors’ successful CSA T20 Challenge campaign. After playing the most enterprising brand of T20 cricket in the country for the longest time without reaping the rewards in terms of silverware, the Eastern Cape side finally managed to sneak over the line in a Super Over in a thrilling final against Boland Rocks in Paarl on Sunday. It adds to the growing list of Peterson’s honours, having already masterminded MI Cape Town’s maiden Betway SA20 triumph last season. He has also led MI New York to the Major League Cricket championship title…

Phuthuma Nathi, MultiChoice South Africa’s broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) share scheme, has urged shareholders and families of deceased shareholders to come forward and claim dividends that remain unpaid. According to the scheme, since 2020, it has run an annual national campaign to trace shareholders with unclaimed dividends dating back to 2006. These efforts have already resulted in more than R125 million being paid out, yet over R270 million in dividends remain outstanding. Phuthuma Nathi says it is committed to locating shareholders and ensuring that they receive what is rightfully theirs. The scheme says unclaimed dividends are most often the result of shareholders failing to update their personal or banking details, or dividends being owed to the estates of deceased shareholders. “Shareholders who have not received dividends between…

South African rapper Emtee recently announced on X that he is preparing to release what he says will be his last album. He wrote, “I’m dropping my last album soon. I’m gonna focus on running my label. It was nice while it lasted.” Fans responded with shock and a mix of humour. One wrote, “It’s going to be tough to see Emtee’s journey come to an end ... I’m very disappointed his music has been a huge part of my life, and it’s going to be weird not hearing new stuff from him.” Another quipped, “The album better consist of 124 songs with a deluxe of 67 more songs, otherwise you are not going anywhere.” A third simply said, “You owe us a lot of songs, Mthembeni.” Emtee’s discography reflects…

Recent crime statistics have revealed a troubling rise in violent incidents within Cape Flats communities, leading residents to urgently demand government intervention. Local leaders have described the situation as untenable, with families living in constant fear. An alarming jump of 9% in the murder rate in the Western Cape and a shocking 91% of gang-related crimes in South Africa during the first half of the financial year has residents living in constant fear. Hotspots recorded spikes in murder, attempted murder and extortion-linked cases, with police stations like Nyanga, Delft, Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha appearing in the country’s top 30. The City of Cape Town and Western Cape Government believe devolving policing powers to local authorities could help curb the crisis, national government has yet to act. In Delft, the station…

A SECURITY company owner who spent nearly two years trying to clear his name after being accused of murdering a Bo-Kaap father has been vindicated after the charge against him was withdrawn, claiming he acted in self-defence – but that his reputation has been tarnished. During an interview with the Cape Argus, Cameron Aberdeen, the owner of Cerberus Tactical Security (CTS), said that following his arrest and charge with the murder of Moegamat Abrahams and wounding a woman in Bo-Kaap in 2024, the charges against him were withdrawn last month. He is now proceeding with legal action against the state, citing that he acted in self-defence on the day in question. “The charges affected me tremendously in both my personal life and my business, but this is a risk we…

Mayco Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien, confirmed the expected impact on tariffs after a feasibility study, tabled at a mayoral committee meeting, has indicated that the proposed R5 billion Paarden Eiland Desalination Plant could result in a steep water tariff hike. The study indicated that the plant could significantly increase water bills within the first two years of operating, with an approximate “additional project-specific water tariff increase (over and above the base inflationary increase) of 6.57% and 6.63%” in the first two years of operating. The city plans for the plant to produce between 50 million and 70 million litres of potable water per day, forming part of the New Water Programme, which aims to secure an additional 300 million litres of water from diversified sources. Badroodien…

Marco Jansen fondly remembers the first time he encountered Indian legend Virat Kohli. Still a gangling teenager back then, Jansen and his identical twin brother, Duan, were called up to be “net bowlers” to the touring India squad at a Wanderers training session. Despite not being called on during the first day, the Jansen brothers waited patiently before getting their chance the next day. “There were two days at the Wanderers. The first day was both my brother and myself, we didn't bowl a single ball or we bowled like the last 20 minutes,” Jansen said, after the Proteas’ 17-run defeat to India in the first ODI in Ranchi. “And then in those 20 minutes, I think Ravi Shastri was the coach back then. “He asked us to please…

While offshore investing offers South African investors a greater investment landscape and much-needed diversification, investors need to be aware of the complexities of taking funds offshore – including the way offshore assets are treated on death. The role of probate Probate refers to the process of a court declaring a will valid, which authorises the distribution of a deceased individual’s assets in terms of the wishes specified in their will. In the South African context, this is what we know as the administration of deceased estates. Looking beyond our own borders, it’s crucial to understand that each jurisdiction’s rules in respect of probate differ, which adds to the complexity of winding up global estates. However, the impact of these complexities can be managed effectively by consulting with specialist advisers…

A LANGA mother and her three children died when they were trapped inside their home during a devastating fire in the Siyahlala Informal Settlement. The fire broke out around 4am yesterday, when Asavela Seti, 38, and her one-year-old twin daughters and a five-year-old son were unable to escape their home as blaze swept through the community. An estimated 15 structures were destroyed, according to the City’s Fire and Rescue Services. Her heartbroken sister, Pumza Seti, said that the incident has left the family devastated. She explained: “We got the news after 4am that my sister’s place is burning and that she and her children were still inside. “I also live in Siyahlala Informal Settlement, so I am not far from her and we rushed to her place. It is very…

Deputy President Paul Mashatile says the government plans to introduce lenacapavir next year, a twice-yearly injectable that promises long-acting protection against HIV. Speaking at World Aids Day commemorations in Limpopo, Mashatile was joined by Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba and other officials. “Every year, on December 1, we join the world to observe World Aids Day, not as a mere formality but as an opportunity to remember and strengthen our commitment to honouring lives lost,” he said. Mashatile said this year’s commemoration emphasised the need to step up efforts to end Aids. He said South Africa’s theme, “Renewed Efforts and Sustainable Commitments to End Aids”, highlights the urgency of revitalising prevention and treatment strategies amid funding cuts and shifting global priorities. The deputy president…

Despite the US’s bullying stance, South Africa could not afford to be confrontational and retaliate the same way. Reflecting on the recent G20 Summit in his address on Sunday evening, President Cyril Ramaphosa hailed South Africa’s hosting of the event as a historic and great success. Although the president avoided a direct attack on the US’s boycott of the event, he expressed his disappointment that the event continued without the US’s presence. He said it was regrettable that the United States, which is a founding member of the G20 and which takes over the presidency of the G20 from South Africa next year, chose not to participate in the G20 Leaders’ Summit and the final meetings leading up to it. Weighing in on the president’s diplomatic response to the US,…

“I deny offering anybody money to kill my husband.” These were the words from the accused husband killer, Zurenah Smit, 59, who has taken the stand at the Western Cape High Court yesterday to testify about allegations that she masterminded her husband’s 2019 murder. She was questioned about having promised her co-accused R2 million to have her husband murdered. In her testimony, Zurenah maintained her innocence when she made bare denials of being involved with robberies and the 2019 murder carried out at Louisenhof Farm, where she lived with her slain husband Stefan Smit. Zurenah denied allegations that she drugged her husband to steal R235 000, a firearm, and Kruger Rand coins from a safe. She defended herself, stating: “I had no reason to drug my husband. He was taking…

The government’s announcement last year that special schools will be spared from the latest education budget cuts has brought relief in some circles. At the same time, that announcement raised an important question: does preserving funding for special schools truly advance the rights of learners with disabilities? At face value, the decision appears protective, but it overlooked deeper systemic challenges within South Africa’s education system. Rather than easing the crisis, it risks intensifying long-standing barriers to quality education for learners with disabilities. Inclusive education remains a central policy commitment grounded in equity and access, but implementation has been uneven, and budget constraints threaten to widen existing gaps. As South Africa marks Disability Awareness Month (November 3 to December 3), this piece seeks to contribute to the national conversation on disability…

Mikel Arteta insisted Arsenal deserved respect after the English Premier League leaders battled to a bruising 1-1 draw with title rivals Chelsea at the end of a gruelling week. Arteta’s injury-hit side salvaged a point at Stamford Bridge thanks to Mikel Merino’s 59th-minute header. It took everything Arsenal had to emerge unscathed after fired-up Chelsea ignored Moises Caicedo’s 38th-minute red card and took the lead through Trevoh Chalobah’s 48th-minute header. Arteta was especially impressed with Arsenal’s display because they started a Premier League match without injured centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes for the first time this season. Martin Odegaard and Viktor Gyokeres were only fit enough for the bench, while Leandro Trossard was also absent due to injury. In the circumstances, Arteta was delighted to see his team refuse…

Stellenbosch FC returned to South Africa on Monday with little respite following their CAF Confederation Cup Group C match in Tanzania. The team is quickly thrust back into domestic action, facing a significant Betway Premiership challenge against seventh-placed Polokwane City at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on Wednesday (kick-off 7.30pm). This midweek clash holds added significance for Stellenbosch, as it marks their last league engagement of the season before the Africa Cup of Nations break. Buoyed by recent performances and eager to evade the lower echelons of the league table, the Cape Winelands side view this game not merely as another fixture but as a crucial opportunity to close out the year on a positive note. Head coach Steve Barker’s thoughts are clear as the team gear up for this…