Innehållsförteckning för 2023-03-23 från Cape Argus

Cape Town police arrested three alleged hijackers following an exchange of fire in the Zandvlei area in Muizenberg yesterday morning. Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swaartbooi said members of the SAPS Dog Unit, assisted by Maitland Flying Squad, located a stolen vehicle driving in Main Road, Muizenberg. “The SAPS members attempted to pull the vehicle off, but the vehicle, a blue Mercedes-Benz, refused to stop. “A high-speed chase ensued through the streets of Muizenberg, which ended when the stolen motor vehicle collided with the boundary fence of a residence in Promenade Road,” Swaartbooi said. Swaartbooi said the three occupants of the vehicle attempted to flee, but were arrested by the SAPS members. “It was determined that the vehicle had been stolen earlier today (Wednesday), during a housebreaking in Table View.”…

WITH climate change exacerbating the severity of environmental disasters and further threatening water security in the province, stakeholders yesterday attended the Western Cape Government (WCG) Water Indaba to learn how to better manage water demands. Coinciding with World Water Day yesterday, the indaba began with the City’s Water Innovation Exhibition, where the WCG unveiled its 15-year Integrated Drought and Water Response Plan which it hoped would help to better manage water demand as the climate crisis continues to make the water supply unpredictable. Local Government MEC Anton Bredell said: “It is a tired cliché to say ‘water is life’, but it is absolutely true. We came very close to this truth in Cape Town with Day Zero in 2019, the result of a drought that started in 2015. We have…

“How can we live like this?” This was the cry of mostly women farmworkers over inhumane practices on some farms a day after Human Rights Day was commemorated across the country. Women On Farms Project (WFP) released its independent research findings into the living and working conditions of farmers at Fairtrade-certified wine farms yesterday at the Huguenot Community Hall in Paarl. About 250 farm women from Stellenbosch, Paarl, Simondium, De Doorns, Rawsonville, Wellington and Witzenberg, were present. Farmworkers shared accounts of verbal and in some cases physical abuse by farmers or supervisers/managers, how portable toilets were only brought when visited for inspections, and the termination of contracts or unfair dismissals and evictions. WFP said while Fairtrade standards had improved the living and working conditions for several farmworkers on its certified…

THE race to buy Manchester United entered a crucial stage yesterday as bidders faced a deadline to submit improved offers for the Premier League giants. Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe have rival bids on the table. There are reported to be several other groups whose interest in United has remained private throughout a bidding war which has intensified this week. Elliott Investment Management reportedly made it through to the second stage of the process, although the firm is believed to be offering funding to United owners, the Glazer family, rather than a takeover. Those who wanted to buy United had to declare their offer to Raine, the merchant bank brought in to assist the club, by last night. At least six bids,…

PARIS Saint-Germain’s billion-euro investment may have paid dividends on the political stage for owners Qatar but the team is disappointing and bland, despite superstars Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, former Germany captain Philipp Lahm said yesterday. Lahm, a 2014 World Cup winner who is now Euro 2024’s tournament director, was vitriolic in his criticism following PSG’s 3-0 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League last-16 earlier this month. “You feel for the many PSG fans who came to Munich (for the return leg on March 8). Their hopes that something could come together dies every year anew,” Lahm said in a column for German newspaper Die Zeit. PSG have never won Europe’s premier club competition and have made it to the final only once, in 2020, despite their…

The One-Day International series against the West Indies has painted a vivid picture of where the Proteas stand and where improvements need to be made going into their clashes with the Netherlands. The abandoned first ODI did not aid South Africa’s quest for excellence and had it been played, there’d be a clearer understanding of where the team is ahead of the Netherlands series. The two matches, in East London and Potchefstroom, have however answered two big questions South Africa had been posed as an ODI unit. Quinton de Kock, as wicket-keeper and with the bat at the top of the order, is a proven success. A reminder to the fans, and perhaps to himself as well, is what is needed from him to further clarify the height of…

Stats SA releases shock consumer price index South African consumers continue to face an uphill battle with brutal price increases on food, electricity and fuel. Inflation has increased for the first time since October last year and with it the prices of meat, milk, eggs, cheese, vegetables, sugar, sweets and desserts have hiked notably, meaning South Africans are having to dig deeper in their pockets to put food on the table. Not making it any easier are last week’s increases in the cost of electricity, after the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) approved Eskom’s 18.49% price hike to municipalities, effective from 1 April. Statistics SA yesterday released the Consumer Price Index which showed annual consumer inflation rising for the first time in four months, edging to 7% in…

A NEW research report – compiled by the South African Anti-Money Laundering Integrated Task Force (Samlit) – on modern slavery and human trafficking titled Follow the Money shows the Western Cape reports the highest number of cases of modern slavery and human trafficking (MSHT). The Western Cape is followed by Gauteng, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Free State provinces, and the report noted: “It is indicative that tourist destinations are the biggest hot spots for human trafficking, especially that related to sexual exploitation.” The report, the brainchild of Standard Chartered Bank in South Africa, focuses on financial flows and key indicators in the detection of financial transactions and behaviours related to MSHT in South Africa, thereby helping the banking sector to assist in combating this crime. The research found that human…

To spread the message of water preservation to improve hygiene and feed the hungry, Cape Town-based NGO, Save Our Schools, launched a long-term project called “Water in the Sky”. The project is a pilot (at Bloekombos Secondary School in Kraaifontein) aerial pipeline solution with an integrated vertical garden and rainwater harvesting scheme, that is suitable and specifically designed for informal communities. It makes use of rainwater harvesting systems, with the water collected going back into vertical and horizontal vegetable gardens at the school and will be used in new hand-washing infrastructure at the school to improve the state of hygiene. SOS CEO Shelley Humphreys said the vegetables from these gardens would go into the feeding scheme at the…

Residents who live close to schools, retail outlets, or other businesses – or perhaps even have social neighbours who receive lots of visitors – have no choice but to put up with people parking outside their homes. As frustrating as it may be, the land is a free-for-all when it comes to parking. This means you cannot place traffic cones or plant other obstructions such as rocks, greenery or fencing, to cordon off the area to other people. Regardless of where in South Africa you live, municipal by-laws seem to be consistent on this issue. In the City of Cape Town, law enforcement spokesperson Wayne Dyason says anyone can park in any public place as long as there are no official signs prohibiting this, like “no parking” signboards, or red…

ENGLAND’S quest to win a first major title since 1966 starts afresh this evening as the Three Lions’ Euro 2024 qualifying campaign begins with a testing trip to champions Italy. After taking time to consider his future following a World Cup quarter-final exit to France in December, Gareth Southgate will remain in charge as England boss for a fourth attempt at glory. Southgate has overseen a transformation of his country’s fortunes on the international stage. But after reaching a quarter-final, semi-final and final in their last three major tournaments, anything less than ending a 58-year trophy drought in Germany next year will be seen as a disappointment. Southgate might have sounded a warning this week about the declining number of England-qualified players playing regularly in the Premier League, but he…

LIONEL Messi and his Argentina teammates will make a triumphant return in their homeland today when they play their first match since winning the World Cup in Qatar. More than 1.5 million fans have applied for the 63 000 available tickets for the match against Central American minnows Panama at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. Football-mad Argentines were out in even larger numbers following the Albiceleste’s dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over France in December. An estimated 5 million people thronged the streets of Buenos Aires a few days later for the trophy parade. Such was the multitude that the parade had to be abandoned long before it reached central Buenos Aires as it was already hours behind schedule. Messi had been widely expected to retire from international football after…

DHL Stadium officially opened its Business Lounge yesterday, offering annual memberships for up to R9 000 to well-heeled individuals who want to enjoy sporting events and corporate gatherings at the stadium in Green Point. DHL Stadium’s commercial account officer, Vuyolwethu Gabelana, said annual memberships and prices would vary according to the number of people in a group and for what the package was for. The more seats a package the better. “The pricing will vary. The more seats you purchase per membership the better. At the very top you are looking at nothing above R9 000, and at the bottom nothing above R4 500 for the year. Co-operated individuals will get to enjoy a 20% discount of renting the business lounge for private functions when available,” Gabelana said. The lounge…

THREE men accused of planning the murder of advocate Pete Mihalik appeared in the Western Cape High Court, where the alleged “shooter” had the “taxi boss” apologising for his insults. Vuyile Maliti, from Khayelitsha, is in the witness box as he testifies in his own defence. He smirked on the stand during cross-examination by Sizwe Biyela’s lawyer, who put it to him that the KwaZulu-Natal man was “insulted” by Maliti’s “suspicion” that the Kruger Rands Maliti sold were stolen. Biyela’s lawyers said he was “offended” because the alleged shooter comes from a very proud family and heritage in KZN, “and for you to have thought that he stole the coins and had the suspicion to have stolen the coins is wrong. He did not steal the coins. He bought…

TWO VIOLENT protests rocked Cape Town on Tuesday when residents from Oasis Farm, opposite Isiqalo informal settlement near Mitchells Plain, and Dunoon took to the streets and burned tyres and rubble. Initially, the protests were thought to be an extension of the EFF shutdown on Monday but it emerged that they were against the disconnection of electricity and demolition of shacks. Angry Dunoon residents barricaded Malibongwe Drive and the N7 with burning debris and tyres, accusing law enforcement officers of demolishing their shacks on Tuesday and last week. Community leader and SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco) chairperson Sinethemba Matomela said the protest erupted after the demolition of two shacks by law enforcement officers. Matomela said the residents of the Zwezwe and Newlands informal settlements, which were established during…

A rule proposal by golf’s governing bodies that would limit the distance balls can travel in professional tournaments would only serve to hurt the players who hit it shorter off the tee, world No 2 Jon Rahm said on Tuesday. The proposal made last week by the Royal and Ancient and US Golf Association would give competition organisers the option to require players to use only balls that meet maximum-distance criteria. But Rahm, speaking to reporters ahead of the World Golf Championships Match Play tournament in Austin, Texas, questioned why the sport’s ruling bodies would even want to propose a rule that would reduce driving distance. “My biggest question for them would be we’re in a golden era of golf where it’s exploded since Covid, a lot of people are…

THE Stormers and Western Province have “found their niche” in how they want to play rugby, according to Labeeb Levy, and WP intend continuing down that path in Sunday’s Currie Cup clash against the Sharks. The highly experienced Levy, who is the Stormers’ skills coach and performance analyst, is taking charge of the Province side this week while head coach John Dobson and assistants Rito Hlungwani and Dawie Snyman are leading the United Rugby Championship team for tomorrow’s showdown with Leinster in Dublin. Levy, who came through the ranks at Bo-Kaap club SK Walmers, has also had a long association with touch rugby over the years, and that kind of positive mindset has been evident in both the Stormers’ and WP’s performances over the last two seasons. But what has…