Innehållsförteckning för 2022-06-23 från Cape Argus

The family of the Table Bay Harbour police officer who was shot and killed in Leiden, Delft, say they are still battling to come to terms with the death of their daughter. Constable Shamielah Arendse, 26, was shot and killed by unknown suspects while standing outside her home with friends on Tuesday evening. Police say initial reports of the incident seem sketchy. However, investigating officers are following all leads. Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said: “Witness reports of the incident claim that the officer Arendse was standing in front of her residence with three other persons when unknown gunmen emerged and fired several shots in Gilo Road, Leiden, in Delft. “Delft police have opened a murder docket for investigation, and detectives from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation have taken over…

ANC Finance and Economic Opportunities spokesperson Nomi Nkondlo has demanded a briefing to the legislature on the provincial Department of Economic Development and Tourism’s collaboration with, and funding of, the Pick n Pay Market Store Project after the retailer put the project on hold. Nkondlo was reacting to a written response to questions she had put to Finance and Economic Opportunities MEC Mireille Wenger on the issue of how much debt the shop owners incurred. “From the inception of the project we were clear that this was not a project to boost the township economy, but instead was another mechanism for the big businesses to profit,“ she said. Nkondlo said she had many engagements with the shop owners about the project and they had complained about it leaving them trapped…

All those who thought they could make a quick profit by buying cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, have been screwed over – by their greed. No one fully understands how this multi-layered and equally complicated, mathematical binary system works … yet, billions have invested in this theoretical money-making scheme. At the forefront of this acquisitive avarice is the need to make more and more money … It was intoxicatingly attractive, as people began to believe the BS, spun by the inventor, that they could mine profits in cyberspace. This has to go down as the biggest, believable con perpetrated by brilliant criminal minds. We will never know the full extent of the losses … but here are a planet full of intelligent people investing in this diabolical get-rich-quickly scheme.…

THE article “‘Israel has no intention of ending its occupation of Palestine”, (Cape Argus June 18) refers. This article is taqiyya, the permission and obligation to lie to the infidel. Taqiyya advances the cause of Islam by gaining the trust of non-believers in order to draw out their vulnerability and defeat them. To begin with, there is no Palestine. The anti-semitic UN, dominated by the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Co-operation will goose-step in unison. It set up a “Independent International Commission of Inquiry” to persecute Israel. The commission is headed by Navi Pillay, who, leads the UN’s crown jewel of anti-semitism, the International Criminal Court which, while it has no jurisdiction, is also preparing a diatribe against Israel. What are the root causes of the conflict? In the 1850s Jewish…

SOUTH Africa is experiencing an epidemic of deaths among the youth in road crashes, as more than 8 500 perished in crashes in three years, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said. The RTMC has issued a clarion call to young people to prioritise road safety as the youth engage in Youth Month festivities. The corporation revealed yesterday that 8 547 young people between the ages of 21 and 34 died on roads between 2019 and 2021. The RTMC said the worst affected age category was people aged between 30 and 34, with 3 661 of them dying due to road crashes in the three-year period. The province with the highest number of fatalities among the youth was Gauteng, with 1 338 road deaths reported, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 1…

May was Africa month. This article shares some reflections as belated celebration of an important, but often overlooked historical development of relations between Africa and China. China is Africa’s biggest trading partner, after notching more than $220 billion, to overtake the US in 2014. According to Quartz Africa, exports from such countries as Libya and Benin to China went up by more than 400% in 2021, while Togo, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Madagascar, and eSwatini doubled their exports. South Africa, Nigeria, Angola, Egypt and the Democratic Republic of the Congo continued to be the five largest African trading partners for China in 2021. There are reportedly more than 1 million Chinese citizens doing business and working in Africa and more than 200 000 Africans living and…

Geneva: An international coalition of journalists, editors and publishers demanded yesterday that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange be released from a UK jail and that all espionage charges against him be dropped. Organisations from six countries gathered in Geneva for the “call to free Julian Assange in the name of press freedom”, and for Swiss authorities to facilitate his release. The British government approved Assange’s extradition to the US. Assange, 50, is wanted to face trial in the US for publishing military and diplomatic files in 2010, and could face up to 175 years in jail if found guilty. | AFP…

London: Britain’s exit from the EU will further slash workers’ wages in coming years, a study concluded yesterday as the nation already faces a cost-of-living crisis from soaring inflation. The research, from the Resolution Foundation think tank and the London School of Economics, was published as official data showed UK inflation hitting a new 40-year peak at 9.1% And the report claimed that Brexit had hit the UK economy’s competitiveness abroad. The report forecast that Brexit would cause a 1.8% drop to earnings adjusted for inflation by the end of the decade. That equated to a loss of £470 (R9 180) per worker a year. | AFP…

THE Springbok Women know that another landslide victory for them is guaranteed against Namibia today in the Rugby Africa Cup and the best thing they can do is focus on polishing up the details of their play. The South Africans have already put 108 points on Zimbabwe in this tournament and they should again be too strong for the opposition in a Pool A match in Cape Town. Babalwa Latsha, who will lead the team in a second-round match, said if their processes are followed, the score will reflect that, as their mission is a simple one. “We need time on the field to improve and this is yet another opportunity for us to do so,” said Latsha. “The focus will be on us and what we want to achieve.…

AFTER 13 years, queen of gossip Wendy Williams has officially ended her TV run of The Wendy Williams Show. Williams, whose health took a turn for the worse, had to be sidelined from her show since July 2021. Hosts have filled in for her. TV personality and comedian Sherri Shepherd filled in during most of season 13 and hosted the grand finale last Friday, which Williams did not appear on. Despite Wendy’s absence, a montage of highlights from her 13-year run was aired for her fans and a shot of her famous purple chair, empty, was posted symbolically to Williams’ social media accounts. The caption read: “We love you for watching.” From the comments it appears Williams’ fans are not impressed by Shepherd, nor the fact that Williams was…

I have an odd sense of humour that can find irony in serious situations. Example; since it has been exposed that the president hid millions inside his furniture, I considered: did the president open up the furniture himself and then sew it back together, or did he have help? Also, why did the president not have a safe, like regular people, inside his home where money is normally kept or create a hidden compartment in the floor, like in the John Wick movies? According to reports, the president’s maid is Namibian. With all the local joblessness, why is the president hiring a foreigner at his home? What does this suggest about local work ethic? Also, how did the maid allegedly find the money, was the re-sewing of the furniture done…

How clever of you to put the letter from Mohamed Saeed: Muslims won’t tolerate insults against the Prophet (Cape Argus, June 22) opposite the article on the Islamic extremists violating a peaceful yoga session because “… the meditating practice was against the teachings of Islam!” Seems that the word “tolerance” can change its meaning? Relax, Mohamed; I have deep respect for the Muslims I have worked with in the construction industry – they explained that every grouping has its crazies, and the best we can do is appreciate that the vast majority of people try to do good, and are tolerant of other beliefs. I guess the crazies are a lot more newsworthy than the boring decent people, so we are probably getting an exaggerated view of things.…

The universities and the TVET (Technical Vocational Education and Training) institutions seem to all be working normally at this time in South Africa. It is a good sign that students can pursue their studies. Government, educational authorities and students must work together to address the issues confronting SA. This is something we fail to do during the time students are back on campus. The funding of students at tertiary institutions must be a continuous discussion. The same applies to schools. The government should be open to discussing all the improvements in education and, more importantly, all the problems facing schools. We must work together to ensure all students have access to high school education up to Grade 12. Students will then be more mature to follow academics and technical education…

Western Cape Education Department (WCED) learner numbers are increasing by more than 20 000 annually, with some schools bursting at the seams. The largest number of new or transfer applications received are for Grades 1 and 8. WCED spokesperson Kerry Mauchline said there was a large number of in-migration annually, with about 18 000 learners joining Western Cape schools from the Eastern Cape alone each year. “We do have some schools – particularly in the metro districts – that have large numbers of learners applying, and space must then be found to place those learners,” Mauchline said. Tafelsig mother, Lamees Moosa, experienced placement challenges with each of her four children. Two of her children had to complete Grade 12 at Balco College, Mitchells Plain, as she was unable to secure…

UCT has launched a new Digital Bootcamp project in partnership with Umuzi, a company that helps with digital training roles to help students who have had their studies interrupted or have struggled to find jobs since graduating. The programme was launched virtually by UCT vice-chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng and Umuzi co-founder Andrew Levy. The programme will enrol 100 students, and will offer an additional pathway to employment for determined young people and help them unleash their digital potential. The current pilot project is part of UCT’s “Vision 2030”. An important part of this is to help South Africans take their place in the global digital economy and grow the African economy. Phakeng said graduates played a key role in contributing to the country’s economy, and the programme would address the problem…

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine hits its fourth month and the consequent global food and oil crisis deepens, world leaders are all looking for ways to end the conflict sooner rather than later. One of the early options on the table was the blacklisting of so-called Kremlin allies, Russian oligarchs, and many Western countries jumped on the bandwagon immediately. For instance, the UK sanctioned the assets of oligarch Roman Abramovich, while the US, similarly, seized $5.3 million (about R84m) from Konstantin Malofeyev’s US-held bank account. Despite the blacklisting, the war has not diminished, and Russian oligarchs appear to still roam the world. A new option that has been put on the table by members of the European parliament is blacklisting territories that have become safe havens for Russian oligarchs.…

Stroe: Thousands of farmers on tractors gathered in central Netherlands yesterday to protest against the government’s plans to cut nitrogen emissions, which could see livestock reduced by almost a third. The Netherlands, the world’s second-largest agricultural exporter, is one of the top greenhouse gas emitters in Europe, especially nitrogen, with much of this blamed on cattle-produced manure. The government plans to cut nitrogen by 70% to reach climate goals by 2030. For farmers this means a 40% drop in emissions, which would require 30% fewer cattle. | AFP…

A powerful earthquake struck a remote border region of Afghanistan overnight killing at least 1 000 people and injuring hundreds more, officials said Wednesday, with the toll expected to rise as desperate rescuers dig through collapsed dwellings. The 5.9 magnitude quake struck hardest in the rugged east, where people already lead hardscrabble lives in a country in the grip of a humanitarian disaster made worse by the Taliban takeover in August. “People are digging grave after grave,” said Mohammad Amin Huzaifa, head of the Information and Culture Department in hard-hit Paktika, adding that at least 1 000 people had died in that province alone. “It is raining also, and all houses are destroyed. People are still trapped under the rubble,” he told journalists. The death toll climbed steadily…

Police have arrested four suspects in connection with the death of a Heideveld high school learner, Muaarth Lee, who was shot and killed on Sunday. Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said: “Manenberg police have taken in four people aged 17, 21, 26 and 41 years old for questioning. The suspects’ arrests come after the discovery of the victim’s body on Sunday, at 8.20pm. “The victim, aged 15, had been shot and fatally wounded in the parking area of Linda Court, Heideveld. The possibility that this incident could be gang-related is being investigated,” Van Wyk said. Frustrated by the ongoing gang violence, Heideveld Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) members and the Community Development Forum say residents are living in fear of the violent wars that have claimed the lives of Lee and 17-year-old…

CHAOS reigned at the City of Joburg’s council meeting in Braamfontein yesterday as opposition parties demanded that an Action SA councillor accused of corruption be removed from the meeting. Opposition parties sang and offered countless points of order in protest of MMC Nkululeko Mbundu participating in the council meeting while under investigation concerning interference in the city’s procurement processes. This is not the first time that Mbundu has been involved in allegations of corruption. Earlier this year Mbundu, who is the MMC for Economic Development, was involved in a bribery scandal that saw a city official being suspended for allegedly trying to bribe him with a bottle of whiskey and R3 000. Mbundu had accused the official of trying to convince him that the Metropolitan Trading Company should be retained…

recent events in our country have left many citizens wondering whether the politics of representation has provided us with the kind of public representatives that we require as a nation. The report by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo on the state of state capture, the allegations against President Cyril Ramaphosa by Arthur Fraser and the bemoanable response by our legislators are matters of grave concern, especially as it applies to representation. In its heyday, in the city of origin, Athens (Greece) from the middle of the 5th century BCE to the middle of the 4th century BCE, democracy meant that the citizens themselves participated in the political processes. According to the political scholar Haywood (1997), “Direct democracy thus obliterates the distinction between government and the governed and between the state and…

Ours was a collective struggle involving churches and kingships including members of all races and nations, over hundreds of years. There is a false belief among many Sowetans that when Soweto sneezes the whole country catches the flu. This would imply that Soweto is the headquarters and whole body of South Africa and the rest of the country is its nose which is surely offensive and disrespectful. Although such shallow convictions can be considered comical, they can in fact give birth to wrong human developmental beliefs and attitudes. As a country, we should always be careful not to reduce our struggles, past and present, to certain political formations and regions, as ours was a collective struggle, as mentioned. The fact that the ANC and Nelson Mandela were the greatest beneficiaries…

As Father’s Day celebrations came to an end, a clarion call was made by several organisations for fathers to be more present. Sonke Gender Justice (Sonke), Centre for Analytics and Behaviour Change (CABC), Heartlines, and Innovation Edge (IE) hosted a dialogue titled “Beyond Father’s Day”, about the urgency of increasing father involvement in child care in South Africa and how to see this realised. The online event covered topics: disrupting the “absent father” narrative by focusing on father involvement; fatherhood across generations and the effects of intergenerational norms and behaviours; and broadening notions of fatherhood to include social fathers. Fathers Matter Project Co-ordinator Lereko Mfono, said the Heartlines project found that men’s active, positive presence meant improved educational outcomes for children; reduction in risk of violence; less risk of…

SOUTH Africa’s biggest canning factory faces closure, threatening 4 500 jobs, not just at the factory but the adjacent industries supporting it, at the worst possible time. If you’ve ever been to the Langeberg, you’ll know that agriculture and agri-processing is the biggest jobs creator in the area and this news will strike the local economy like a hammer blow. Recently Tiger Brands started a consultation process with its workforce that it was planning to close down the Ashton factory, a facility which has been a vital cog in ensuring South Africa was ranked seventh globally in canning fruit, by production. Two years ago the company had announced it would divest itself from the facility but, seemingly, without any takers, it has now decided to wind up a business that’s…

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis yesterday condemned the killing of two Jesuit priests and a lay person in Mexico, saying it was a shocking reminder of the level of violence in the country. The state prosecutor’s office in Chihuahua, along the US border, said three people were killed in the town of Cerocahui after a man took refuge in a church to protect himself from an attack. Two of them were Jesuit priests, the same religious order to which the pope belongs. The two priests worked at the church in the small town in the Sierra Tarahumara mountain chain, the site of cartel violence. | Reuters…

IF South Africa wants to develop in a football sense, it needs to create its own identity rather than trying to emulate systems from Europe and South America. Yes, Europe and South America have won all the men’s World Cups so far and generally are far more successful than SA when it comes to development. But trying to copy systems from those continents will not work as SA has its own set of nuances which are unique and require their own systems. Trying to emulate other models in SA actually may harm our football and this could be happening at the moment. In SA, the reality is that players of 26 and 27 are still considered relatively young and still developing while in Europe and South America, players at this…