Indholdsfortegnelse for 2026-01-16 i Cape Argus

Cape Town’s jazz scene has always been more than music. Over the years it has become a movement. Now, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) and Texx and the City are giving local musicians the tools to turn their art into a sustainable career. On Saturday, January 24, Soundcast Studios will host a free masterclass led by Tecla Ciolfi, the brains behind Texx and the City. A cultural strategist, curator, and music industry insider, Ciolfi has spent over a decade championing South African and African artists and helping them navigate everything from international showcases to funding opportunities, partnerships, and career sustainability. Titled From Funding to Partnerships: How to Thrive as a Jazz Musician, the session promises practical advice for artists ready to take control of the business side of…

FIVE District Six families living in Victorian-era cottages in Searle Street, Woodstock, have been ordered by the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court to vacate the properties by February 28, after the court ruled that their continued occupation is unlawful and that eviction is just and equitable. In a judgment delivered in December, Magistrate Juan de Pontes found that Etienne du Toit, the registered owner of the properties, is entitled to regain possession under the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act (PIE). The families ultimately conceded that they had no lawful right to occupy the cottages, leaving the court to determine whether eviction would be fair in light of their personal circumstances. Du Toit bought the Searle Street properties in September 2014 from the Sisters of the…

THE Cape Crime Crisis Coalition (C4) has renewed its call for a Provincial State of Disaster over gang violence on the Cape Flats, accusing the Western Cape government of acting swiftly on natural disasters while failing to apply the same urgency to what it describes as a deadly, human-made crisis. The renewed call comes as the office of Premier Alan Winde acknowledged the demands but stressed that crime-fighting powers lie primarily with national government. “The premier notes the request for disaster declarations and military interventions amongst other requests on crime interventions. Policing is a national competency and that is why we are meeting the national minister of police on this,” the premier’s office said in response to media enquiries. C4 has questioned the contrast in approach, pointing to the provincial…

Former Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brian Baloyi has voiced serious concerns over the ongoing shortage of locally based goalkeeping talent in South Africa’s top flight, warning that the lack of exposure for upcoming goalkeepers could pose a long-term problem for the national team. South Africa has traditionally been well stocked in the goalkeeping department, with current Bafana Bafana number one Ronwen Williams regarded as one of the best talents in recent times and widely considered among the continent’s top shot-stoppers. However, despite his presence and the other experienced performers in the Betway Premiership, Baloyi believes the bigger issue lies beneath the surface — the absence of young local goalkeepers coming through the ranks. This season, approximately 50% of goalkeepers who have seen regular action in the Betway Premiership are foreign nationals,…

Hosts Morocco will face Sadio Mane’s Senegal in this weekend’s Africa Cup of Nations final after both emerged victorious from tense semi-finals on Wednesday, as Mohamed Salah’s dreams of winning the title were again dashed. Morocco beat Nigeria 4–2 on penalties after a semi-final showdown of few chances in the capital, Rabat, finished 0–0 at the end of extra time. Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou performed heroics by saving twice in the shoot-out. Bounou, of Saudi side Al-Hilal, denied Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi, allowing Youssef En-Nesyri to convert the winning kick and spark wild celebrations among over 65 000 fans inside the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. As well as joy, there was relief for Hamza Igamane, who had appeared distraught after his kick — Morocco's second in the shoot-out — was…

Orlando Pirates legend Jerry Sikhosana says the club’s chances of claiming the league title will hinge on how quickly their new signings adapt to the demands and expectations of the team. Following an intense early-season transfer window that saw more than ten players join the Soweto giants, the Buccaneers have wasted little time further strengthening their squad, particularly after losing key defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi to Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire. Currently locked in a fierce battle with Mamelodi Sundowns, the resumption of the league in less than a week will test the Buccaneers’ character — the same test they struggled with last season. Despite a strong start in the 2024/25 campaign, they failed to maintain momentum and fell short in their pursuit to end their league drought. This season feels…

THE new school year is off to a rocky start after an education watchdog spilled the beans that 76 children were crammed into one classroom at Zeekoevlei Primary School. As schools opened for the 2026 school year this week, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED)’s Millicent Merton confirmed there were currently 34 231 teachers employed in the province. She explained the provincial teacher to learner ratio is 1:36 (for public ordinary schools). Parents for Equal Education (Peesa) founder Vanessa le Roux shared a post with claims of overcrowding on Facebook. According to her, a parent of a Grade 7 learner said that due to a school governing body (SGB) post cut there are just two teachers who must teach nine subjects. And as a result, 76 children are in one…

Four men have been shot, with three killed and one wounded in two different communities yesterday. Police were called to the first scene along St Patrick Street in Seawinds where two men were shot in what is believed to be a gang-related incident. Police spokesperson, Captain FC Van Wyk said: “Muizenberg police registered a murder and an attempted murder case for investigation following a shooting at a premises in St Patrick Street, Seawinds at 5.45am. “Police members were called to the crime scene where they found a male with gunshot wounds to his body, and another male, aged 24, who sustained a gunshot wound to his head and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. “The (other) victim was declared dead at the scene. “The motive for this incident…

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy is poised to introduce a ban on drinking alcoholic beverages while driving through the amendment of the existing road regulations with a view to reducing road accidents. Creecy announced plans to tighten road regulations during a briefing yesterday where she presented preliminary road safety statistics for the 2025/2026 festive season and last year as a whole. She praised law enforcement agencies, municipalities, and civil servants for their role in achieving a 5% drop in road fatalities and crashes during the 2025/2026 festive season. However, she emphasised that reckless driver behaviour remains the leading cause of road trauma, adding that speeding and drunk-driving were major contributors to accidents. Preliminary road safety statistics showed that 1 427 fatalities were recorded from 1 172 crashes during the festive season.…

Khayelitsha residents have raised concerns over the deteriorating state of the local cemetery, citing repeated vandalism, theft, and illegal dumping. Families said the site, meant to be a place of peace and reflection, has been left vulnerable, leaving loved ones’ graves exposed and disrespected. Khayelitsha resident, Khangelani Vubela, described the heartbreak he felt when he discovered that his father’s grave had been vandalised at the Khayelitsha cemetery. “I could not believe what I was seeing. The grave had been damaged, flowers and personal items were thrown around, and it looked completely disrespected,” Vubela said. “It was like a punch to the heart. Visiting a grave is supposed to bring peace, not this pain.” He said that his family had visited regularly, tending to the grave and leaving tokens of remembrance,…

Asked a direct question by the CNN award-winning journalist, Christiane Amanpour, on whether he has “any information that might implicate President Zuma in any acts of corruption”, the late Pravin Gordhan responded matter-of-factly. “No, I don’t have any personal information, but as I said, there are all sorts of suggestions not just about the president”. Interestingly and embarrassingly so, Amanpour asked the most basic question that had escaped South Africa’s journalistic fraternity. Hoodwinked by the so-called state capture narrative, the media fraternity eagerly lapped up everything coming out of Gordhan’s mouth. In the end, Gordhan was exposed as nothing more than a petty, jealous, and probably racist state capture propagandist. It didn’t help at the time that, for the media fraternity, South Africans were divided into saints and demons. Anyone…

The firing of Scott Robertson as coach of the All Blacks could have a direct impact on the Springboks, as it may result in the loss of attack coach Tony Brown. Robertson was dramatically sacked yesterday, after a New Zealand Rugby (NZR) review of his performance — fuelled by dissent from leading players such as Ardie Savea — resulted in his exit midway through a four-year term. The early favourite for the All Black reins is Jamie Joseph, whom Robertson beat to the job when Ian Foster exited after the 2023 World Cup. It was a two-horse race then, and Robertson won based on his record of seven straight Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders. Crucially, from a South African point of view, Brown was on the Joseph election ticket.…

For years Senuran Muthusamy has been content to sit in the shadows. Initially at the Dolphins, and subsequently with the national team. But over the last period, Muthusamy, who is the ultimate team man and always putting the needs of others ahead of himself, has almost been pushed into the spotlight. The allrounder was a revelation on the two subcontinent tours to Pakistan and India recently, contributing significantly to the Proteas’ Test side’s success. Player of the Series in Pakistan due to his significant feats with bat and ball, Muthusamy went on to score a maiden Test century to help the Proteas complete a historic 2-0 clean sweep in Guwahati. It’s clear that Muthusamy’s confidence is at an all-time high, especially after he was honoured with the ICC Player of…

The All Blacks are standing at a crossroads that should make every New Zealand rugby fan feel a little uneasy sitting on their couch ahead of the new international season. It’s a moment that feels very familiar, because this movie has been on the big screen before — just not in black and white, but in green and gold. In 2017, the Springboks were on their knees under Allister Coetzee, especially after losing 57–0 to the All Blacks. Public trust was almost non-existent, performances were erratic and poor, jerseys were burnt, and the Boks were drifting just two seasons out from the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Then, in 2018, came one ruthless but brave decision by SA Rugby: the firing of Coetzee and the appointment of Rassie Erasmus, alongside Jacques…

THE City of Cape Town says it is still waiting for the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) to submit a valid event permit application and provisional booking for available dates at Athlone Stadium, amid an ongoing standoff over venues for the association’s internal competitions. CTMCA kicked back that alternative dates later offered were midweek and during Ramadaan. The City said no application had yet been received for Athlone Stadium, despite dates being offered in January and February. Officials said they remain in regular contact with the association and have repeatedly confirmed that Vygieskraal Stadium cannot lawfully be used for the competitions, which are classified as medium-risk events. According to the City, the most recent submission from the CTMCA was an incomplete application once again proposing Vygieskraal Stadium, a venue…

The Overstrand Municipality has confirmed the arrest of three suspects following an arson incident near the Stanford graveyard, as authorities grapple with an unprecedented fire season that has caused widespread damage across the Western Cape. Municipal manager Dean O’Neill said the municipality has been battling an unusually high number of fires since November, with thousands of hectares burned and severe losses suffered by farmers, businesses and community organisations. He said the scale and frequency of the fires have raised serious concern that some incidents may not have occurred naturally. O’Neill said the municipality has offered a reward for information leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of those responsible for deliberately starting fires. He confirmed that on Monday at about 7.30pm, a member of the public noticed smoke near the…

The public university system can only offer about 235 000 first-year places for the 2026 academic year, a number that is substantially fewer than the number of qualifying candidates. The scope of this issue was revealed during a social services cluster media briefing by the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Tebogo Letsie. “We have 235 000 spaces for first-time entering students at our public universities, whereas basic education produced 245 000 students with bachelor’s passes. So, the difference there is 10 000 students. It is not what we desire,” Letsie said. He added that the higher education sector has also increased spaces for first-time students this year by 33 000 because last year they had 202 000 spaces. “We’re now at 235 000. It’s a gradual increase,…

Homeowners in the Silversand housing development in Blue Downs, Cape Town, say they have been left financially and emotionally devastated after waiting nearly four years for homes that were meant to be completed in early 2024. The development involves 35 homeowners, many of whom applied for home loans through banks, including Nedbank and Absa. While funds were approved and released in phases to CSD Construction, most houses remain unfinished. Some residents have even completed their bond repayments, but still have not received their homes. “It has officially been four years since we applied for our home loans, yet we are still not living in our houses,” said Fezeka Dlephu, one of the affected homeowners. “We have been paying interim interest this whole time, but we are renting elsewhere because we…

While the debate continues to rage around the Proteas’ T20 World Cup squad — specifically the inclusion of Tony de Zorzi ahead of the in-form Ryan Rickelton — South African legend Vernon Philander has come out to bat for the dreadlocked left-hander. Critics of De Zorzi’s inclusion have pointed to SA20 statistics in a head-to-head comparison, highlighting season averages and strike rates where MI Cape Town’s Rickelton clearly holds the edge. De Zorzi, who featured for Durban’s Super Giants and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in his two seasons, has struggled to match those numbers. Rickelton has become the first batter to score multiple centuries in South Africa’s premier domestic T20 competition, topping this season’s batting chart with 324 runs at an impressive average of 54. Furthermore, De Zorzi hasn't played since…

The Stormers will be under pressure to rediscover their trademark attacking flair when they face Leicester Tigers in Cape Town tomorrow, with their Champions Cup survival hinging on a must-win final pool encounter. In their last two matches, the Cape side’s normally potent backline has been kept in check by Harlequins and the Bulls, who gave them little room to work their magic on attack. However, they are ready to address those issues and fire on all cylinders as they face a desperate Tigers side at the DHL Stadium (5.15pm start), looking to clinch a playoff spot in the competition. The Stormers currently sit third in the pool and must win the encounter to progress, while a five-point victory would give them the best possible chance of securing a home…

Joburg Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming admits they may have to go off brand in their bid to secure a Betway SA20 playoff spot after losing captain Faf du Plessis to injury. The Super Kings have traditionally relied on their experienced players, notably Du Plessis, but Fleming feels now may be the time to entrust the youngsters to lead the way. There certainly has been some promise shown with the likes of Matthew de Villiers and Dian Forrester shining with the bat, and the New Zealander hopes they can now seize the day in these pressure cooker moments. “We lost our captain in the last game. So, we had to make some pretty big adjustments and introduce players to the squad. We've really concentrated on that,” Fleming said after…

Bulls coach Johan Ackermann says his team is not wasting time calculating Champions Cup permutations, choosing instead to focus their energy on improving “minute by minute” in tonight’s clash against Pau. The Bulls are currently enduring one of the worst slumps in their storied history, having lost seven games on the trot. They sit at the bottom of Pool 4, while their opponents, Pau, are fourth in the group and fly high in second place in the French Top 14. Mathematically, the Bulls could still slip into the Round of 16 with a victory at the Stade du Hameau, provided other results — specifically the Scarlets’ trip to Northampton on Sunday — go their way. However, qualification remains a distant prospect unless they can refine a game plan that has…